BEIJING, July 31 -- China saw an increase in freight traffic in the first half of the year, data from the Ministry of Transport showed on Monday.

China's freight volume rose 6.8 percent year on year to 25.93 billion tonnes from January to June.

During the period, about 19.01 billion tonnes of road cargo were transported in the country, which represents a 7.5 percent increase from the same period last year, according to the ministry.

Some 3.28 million tonnes of cargo were transported via planes, an increase of 6.4 percent year on year.

From January to June, China's port throughput rose 8 percent year on year to 8.19 billion tonnes. The container throughput reached 150 million twenty-foot equivalent units, up 4.8 percent year on year.