BEIJING — China's road freight transport continued steady expansion in the first six months of 2019, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

From January to June, the amount of cargo carried on roads, which takes up the lion's share in China's total cargo transport, increased 5.7 percent year on year to 19 billion tonnes, the NDRC data showed.

In June alone, road cargo traffic rose 5.5 percent to 3.59 billion tonnes, the NDRC said.

The growth came amid China's steady economic growth, which stood at 6.3 percent in the first six months of this year, in line with the government's annual target of 6-6.5 percent.

In the first six months, the amount of cargo transported by water rose 7.2 percent to 3.51 billion tonnes, according to the NDRC.