China's highways and waterways transported 16.5 billion passengers in 2004, according to the figures released by Ministry of Communications Monday.

Highways transported 16.3 billion and waterways 180 million, a year-on-year increase of 11.3 percent and 7 percent respectively.

The freight that highways and waterways transported is 12.2 billion tons and 1.8 billion tons, up 5.6 percent and 13.8 percent respectively.

Main ports transported 340 million tons of coal and 110 million tons of crude oil, up 17 percent and 37 percent.

Investment in transportation infrastructure constructions reached 500 billion yuan (60 billion US dollars), up 21.2 percent compared with 2003.

Investment in rural roads also increased 51.8 percent with newly building 250,000 kilometers of roads.

The ministry predicted that in 2005, highways and waterways will transport 17.3 billion passengers and 14.9 billion tons of freight, up 5 percent and 6.4 percent from 2004.