On the morning of February 28, the State Council Information Office held a press conference on high-quality development of transportation in service of Chinese modernization.

　　Li Xiaopeng, Minister of Transport, said that this year marks the tenth anniversary of General Secretary Xi Jinping's first important instruction on the "Four Good Rural Roads." The "Four Good Rural Roads" refers to building, managing, maintaining, and operating rural roads well. This is a major livelihood project, a project that wins public support, and a project of virtuous governance that General Secretary Xi Jinping personally summarized and proposed and personally promoted and practiced.

　　China Daily reporter

　　This year marks the tenth anniversary of General Secretary Xi Jinping's first important instruction on the "Four Good Rural Roads." Over the past few years, following some interviews with the Ministry of Transport, I have also seen the benefits that changes to rural roads have brought to local people's travel and lives. May I ask, what are the Ministry of Transport's next work plans for this livelihood project? Thank you.

　　Thank you, China Daily reporter, for your attention to the "Four Good Rural Roads." The "Four Good Rural Roads" refers to building, managing, maintaining, and operating rural roads well. This is a major livelihood project, a project that wins public support, and a project of virtuous governance that General Secretary Xi Jinping personally summarized and proposed and personally promoted and practiced. The Ministry of Transport keeps in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's important entrustment and continues to promote the high-quality development of the "Four Good Rural Roads."

　　In terms of building them well, at present all eligible townships and administrative villages across the country are connected by paved roads. Over the past decade, 2.5 million kilometers of rural roads have been newly built or upgraded. By the end of 2023, the total mileage of rural roads reached 4.6 million kilometers. In terms of managing them well, a rural road management system and mechanisms have been established and improved, and all county-level administrative units with rural road management tasks have achieved full coverage of the "road chief system." In terms of maintaining them well, we have implemented the renovation of 63,000 dangerous bridges on rural roads and 1.3 million kilometers of safety life protection projects. A few days ago, a provincial and municipal leader specifically told me that efforts to implement rural road safety life protection projects should be increased, and we will ensure implementation in this regard in the next step. In terms of operating them well, at present all eligible townships and administrative villages across the country have access to passenger transport. In particular, the integrated development of rural passenger, freight, and postal services has achieved positive results. More than 11,000 integrated passenger-freight-postal routes have been opened, and rural passenger transport vehicles carry more than 200 million pieces of mail and express parcels annually. In addition, the level of equalized urban and rural transportation services is also continuously improving.

　　As General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, the construction of the "Four Good Rural Roads" has achieved tangible results, bringing popularity and wealth to rural areas, especially poor areas, and also winning public support for the Party at the grassroots level.

　　This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of New China. As the reporter just mentioned, it is also the tenth anniversary of General Secretary Xi Jinping's first important instruction on the "Four Good Rural Roads." Returning to the reporter's question about what we plan to do this year, there are the following four points:

　　First, deeply advance a new round of rural road construction and upgrading. Implement the five major projects for rural roads to help rural revitalization, accelerate the building of a convenient, efficient, inclusive, and fair rural road network, comprehensively improve the level of rural road maintenance and disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities, and deeply advance rural road safety life protection projects and dangerous bridge renovation projects, so as to maintain the hard-won achievements of construction.

　　Second, accelerate the building of a rural road governance system suited to national conditions. Make every effort to advance the legislative work of the Regulations on Rural Roads. Improve the long-term mechanisms for rural road construction and maintenance in remote mountainous areas. Advance pilot programs for rural road disaster damage insurance. Fully implement the "road chief system." At the same time, continue to carry out a series of demonstration and pilot projects, including pilot projects for rural roads under the goal of building China into a country with strong transportation network, the creation of national demonstration counties for the "Four Good Rural Roads," and demonstration counties for integrated urban-rural transportation.

　　Third, advance the integrated development of rural passenger, freight, and postal services. Deeply advance the integrated development of rural passenger, freight, and postal services in terms of operating mechanisms, infrastructure, transport routes, and operational information, and establish an intensive and efficient rural transport service system. Make every effort to ensure the transport safety of grain, agricultural machinery and materials, and agricultural and sideline products.

　　Fourth, better serve the advancement of comprehensive rural revitalization. Vigorously develop road-related economies and accelerate the construction of rural industrial roads, tourism roads, and resource roads. Increase efforts to promote work-relief programs and make coordinated use of public welfare positions in the field of rural road management and maintenance to help farmers find employment locally and nearby. Continue to do a good job in targeted assistance and paired support, and continue to consolidate the achievements of transportation poverty alleviation.

　　In general, we will continue to make every effort to promote the high-quality development of the "Four Good Rural Roads." Thank you.