In 2004, with just 3.3 kilometers of newly paved road, villagers in Lianguyu Village in the Yimengshan mountain area of east China's Shandong Province earned 100,000 RMB yuan more than in 2003.

Shi Zengfu, head of the village, said after the road was paved, fruit, the village's major output could be carried down from the mountain, bringing in 0.4 yuan more per kilogram than before.

"With the road no longer muddy and agricultural products selling better, the lives of the farmers have improved," he said.

This is just one instance of how improved roads in rural areas are leading to better living conditions among Chinese farmers.

In 2004, 250,000 kilometers of roads were paved, linking 123 more towns and 11,200 more villages than in 2003. Buses also began to run in 286 more towns and 28,424 more villages.

Letting farmers have better roads is not only one of the goals of the Ministry of Communications, but also a basic aspect of the government's policy of "building a harmonious society." Premier Wen Jiaobao, in his government work report to the National People's Congress, said the government "vows to solve the problems of rural areas." One plan is to invest more on infrastructure construction.

Zhang Chunxian, minister of communications, said building paved roads not only means that farmers can walk on better roads, but that the roads can lead them to a better life.

According to research of the International Rural Roads Focus Organization, with better roads, the cost of chemical fertilizer can decrease 14 percent while the income of farmers and the output of agricultural products can increase 12 percent and 32 percent.

The ministry said in 2003 and 2004, 352,000 kilometers of rural roads have been built, more than have been built since the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949. Yet there are still 145 towns and 50,124 villages in the country without paved roads.

Zhang said though the task is difficult, the ministry will not give up halfway. The ministry plans to invest 100 billion yuan to build rural roads from 2006 to 2010, at which time 90 percent of villages will have good roads.