China has met its major targets for rural road development under the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) for national socioeconomic development ahead of schedule, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday.
Over the first four years of the five-year plan period, the country built or upgraded 716,000 kilometers of rural roads, bringing the total mileage of the national rural road network to 4.644 million kilometers, according to the ministry.
So far, 89.5 percent of townships are connected by roads of Class 3 or above, which means paved roads wide enough for buses and trucks, while 94.6 percent of larger villages have access to hardened roads, surpassing planned goals.
Since 2021, the central government has invested 220 billion yuan (about 30.65 billion U.S. dollars) from vehicle purchase tax funds, causing the whole of society to complete the investment of about 2 trillion yuan (about 278.6 billion U.S. dollars) in rural road development.
China now boasts a largely completed rural transport network that links townships and villages more efficiently, with safer, more accessible, and more inclusive transport services. Rural roads are playing a stronger role in advancing rural revitalization, according to the ministry.
China meets major targets for rural road development ahead of schedule
Transitioning from the role of Djiboutian foreign minister to the African Union (AU) commission chairperson was challenging but meaningful, said Mahmoud Ali Youssouf in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Jan 9.
Youssouf was elected as AU Commission Chairperson in Feb 2025, emerging victorious in the leadership race against Kenyan former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and Madagascan former Foreign Minister Richard Randriamandrato.
He said he was honored to take the job, which gave him an opportunity to serve more people.
"So many work, many crises. And I mean it's a continental job. It's not something, you know, just restricted to a country. So, it's very tough. If I can serve more people, you know, from this position of our continent and throughout the world, and I think I will be very much, you know, honored to do it. And I think it's a very interesting position, very tough and challenging. I accept to, you know, shoulder it," said Youssouf.
Youssouf was born in Feb 1965. In 1990, he obtained a master's degree in management at the University of Laval before participating in an educational training program in public management, also in Canada.
Youssouf is fluent in five languages, namely French, English, Arabic, Afar and Somali, which means he speaks at least three official working languages of the AU for effective communication across diverse diplomatic settings.
AU Commission chief describes role as challenging yet meaningful
