The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors on Tuesday approved 218 million U.S. dollars in a loan for infrastructure projects in northeast China's medium-sized cities.

The projects will assist these cities in Liaoning Province in enhancing the performance and quality of their existing urban transport infrastructure in terms of mobility, access, and safety, the bank said in a statement.

The bank said the projects will include a focus on public transport and poverty reduction through assistance targeted at secondary roads, street lights, public transportation, cyclists and pedestrians, based on public involvement in project design, it said.

They will also support institutional innovations in promoting traffic safety, in line with China's new Road Safety Law, according to the bank.

The projects will cover the center cities of Panjin, Jinzhou, Fushun, Benxi, and Liaoyang municipalities, and the county town of Dengta in Liaoyang city, said the bank.

Through these activities, the project aims to improve the livability and investment climate in these cities, and support initiatives that reflect national and provincial priorities related to urban transport, the bank said.

The bank has been Liaoning's development partner for over 15 years, and has provided around 400 million U.S. dollars for four urban infrastructure projects.

Source: Xinhua