BEIJING — China is planning to increase its efforts to improve transport infrastructure in rural areas this year, the country's Vice-Minister of Transport Zhao Chongjiu said on May 31.

China will complete the reconstruction of an extra 30,000 km of rural highways this year, bringing the total annual reconstruction goal to 150,000 km, Zhao told a press conference.

The country will also step up efforts to rebuild 8,000 unsafe bridges in rural areas this year, an increase of 3,000 bridges from the previously announced targets, he said.

Last year, the country's total investment in rural highways reached about 410 billion yuan (about $61.56 billion), and more than 160,000 km of rural roads were reconstructed.