The country pledges to build a highly convenient and efficient transportation network in the Pearl River Delta by expanding capacities of roads, railways, ports and airports over the next 12 years, the country's top economic planner said on Thursday.

The resolution was made in a 2008-2020 national plan on the development of the Pearl River Delta released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) at a news conference on Thursday.

The plan sets the goal of turning the delta into the most efficient and safest passenger and cargo transport center in the Asia-Pacific region.

The move will help bolster exchange among the country's booming southern regions including the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Vice Minister in charge of NDRC Du Ying said construction on a bridge linking Hong Kong, Macao and the Pearl River Delta would be expected to start in 2009 and the central government would offer 5 billion yuan (US$730 million) for the construction of its main structure.

The main structure of the bridge stretches 29 km, the longest in the world. It will connect Hong Kong, Macao and Zhuhai of southern Guangdong Province.

According to the plan, operational highways in the region are set to reach 3,000 km by 2012, up from the 1,900 km by the end of 2006. Rails are expected to hit 1,100 km by 2012 and 2,200 km by 2020, compared with 287 km by the end of 2006.

Cargo throughput for ports aims to ship 900 million tonnes by 2012 and is expected to climb to 1.4 billion by 2020, up from 630 million tonnes in 2006.

Airports will handle 80 million passengers as of 2012 and 150 million by 2020. The figure stood at 45.36 million in 2006.

The construction would be carried out on an energy-efficient and environment-friendly basis by using renewable energy and clean technology, according to the development plan.

As of 2020, energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) in the region will be reduced to 0.57 tonnes of standard coal equivalent and 80 percent of industrial water can be reused.

(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2009)