Air travel has increased since the late-1990s but remains out of reach for most ordinary Chinese. Long distance transportation for most Chinese is still dominated by the railways and bus systems.
Transportation in China is overseen by the Ministry of Communication of the People's Republic of China. The Chinese word for transportation is the same as communications.
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Total: 65,650 km (including 5,400 km of provincial "local" rails)
Transrapid (a German maglev company, which has a test track in Emsland, Germany), constructed the first operational maglev railway in the world, from Shanghai to its airport. It was inaugurated in 2002. Commercial exploitation is planned for 2003.
There is an ambitious plan for more high speed rail by 2005.
A 670 mile (1118 km) long Qinghai-Tibet railroad to Lhasa is currently under construction. It includes the now finished construction of the 3,345-meter long Yangbajain No. 1 tunnel which is 4,264 meters above sea level and located 80 kilometers away from the regional capital Lhasa.
More than 960 kilometers, or over four-fifths of the railway, will be built at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, and over half of it will be laid on frozen earth.
The railway's highest point, the Tanggula Mountain Pass, is 5,072 meters above sea level.
Thirty railway stations are to be built, among them Tangula Mountain station, which at 4,500 m will be one of the highest-altitude railway stations in the world (after Cóndor station, at 4,786 m, on the Rio Mulatos-Potosí line, Bolivia, and La Galera at 4,781 m in Peru).
When the railway is complete (expected in 2006), it will be possible to travel from Lhasa to Beijing in 48 hours.
Cities with metro systems:
Waterways:
Pipelines:
A major project is the construction of a large natural gas pipeline from Xinjiang to eastern China. The government hopes that this will reduce the use of coal which is responsible for much air pollution.
Ports and harbors:
Merchant marine:
Airports: 206 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
See also : People's Republic of ChinaRailways
Standard gauge: 62,050 km 1.435-m gauge (12,150 km electrified; 20,250 km double track)
Narrow gauge: 3,600 km 0.750-m gauge local industrial lines (1998 est.)
(Note: a new total of 68,000 km was estimated for early 1999)Qinghai-Tibet railroad
Metro
Ditto under construction:
Highways:
Total: 1.21 million km
Paved: 271,300 km (with at least 24,474 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 938,700 km (1998 est.)Other
110,000 km navigable (1999)
crude oil 9,070 km; petroleum products 560 km; natural gas 9,383 km (1998)
Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Huangpu, Lianyungang, Nanjing, Nantong, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shantou, Tianjin, Xiamen, Xingang, Yantai, Zhanjiang
Total: 1,746 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,637,023 GRT/24,552,567 DWT
Ships by type: barge carrier 2, bulk 325, cargo 840, chemical tanker 21, combination bulk 11, combination ore/oil 1, container 125, liquified gas 20, multi-functional large load carrier 5, passenger 8, passenger/cargo 46, petroleum tanker 251, refrigerated cargo 24, roll-on/roll-off 21, short-sea passenger 43, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 1 (1999 est.)
Total: 192
Over 3,047 m: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 65
1,524 to 2,437 m: 90
914 to 1,523 m: 13
Under 914 m: 6 (1996 est.)
Total: 14
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 5
Under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)