BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese Minister Zhang Chunxian of Communications revealed here Thursday that the country is planningto build an expressway between the capital city of Beijing an d Taipei.

    "This has been included in a new expressway network plan mapped out by China," he told a press conference held by the Information Office of the State Council, China's cabinet.

    From now to 2030 China will complete work on 85,000 kilometers of expressways at an estimated cost of 2 trillion yuan (242.1 billion US dollars) in total, including one from Beijing to Taipei,Zhang said.

    When the exchanges of mail service, trade and air and shipping services across the Taiwan Straits, or the so-called three direct links, are in place, the Chinese mainland and Taiwan will be connected by expressway networks, he said.

    A certain means of transport, being tunnels or other projects, could be adopted to link the expressways of the two places, in a certain period of time under the prerequisite of three direct links, the official said.

    Zhang noted, "the significance of the expressway to Taipei lies in logistics."

    "Sound logistics are of great realistic importance in helping Taiwan, Hong Kong and China's mainland lower costs and sharpen competitive edges and upgrading the living conditions for every resident (in the places)."

    China's planned national expressway network will also stretch to Hong Kong and Macao, including the Hongkong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge that the two special administrative regions (SARs) have shown great interest in.

    The move will benefit the prosperity and stability in Hong Kong,help Hong Kong reduce logistics costs more and promote the integration of the economies of Hong Kong, Macao, the Pearl River delta and the inland economy, the minister said. Enditem