Summary
(1) The Ministry of Transport of each province, autonomous region, municipality, and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps has announced that the "Regulations on Rural Roads" (State Council Order No. 813) will be implemented on September 15, 2025. To ensure the effective implementation of the regulations, the following notices are issued:
(2) First, fully understand the significance of the regulations. Rural roads are an essential part of China's road network, serving agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. The Communist Party of China and the State Council have attached great importance to rural road development, with President Xi Jinping repeatedly emphasizing the need to improve policies and regulations, enhance governance capabilities, and implement the new round of rural road upgrading actions to drive high-quality development of "four good rural roads".
(3) The regulations are based on the actual situation of rural road development, focusing on solving prominent problems, and addressing aspects such as improving road network quality, strengthening management and maintenance, enhancing safety guarantees, and promoting integrated development. The regulations have defined the basic system for rural road development, which is a concrete measure to deepen the study and implementation of President Xi Jinping's important instructions on "four good rural roads". The regulations will help promote high-quality development of "four good rural roads", accelerate the improvement of modern rural transportation systems, and better promote rural common prosperity, rural revitalization, and agricultural and rural modernization.
(4) Second, accurately grasp the main content of the regulations.
(5) (1) Strengthen development guarantees. The regulations define the scope and positioning of rural roads from a regulatory perspective, grant village roads legal status, and further clarify that rural roads are public infrastructure serving "three rural issues". The state will adopt multiple measures to support and promote rural road development, and clarify the funding and other factors guaranteeing mechanisms for rural road development.
(6) (2) Clarify development orientation. The regulations require that rural road development should be guided by the Party's and the state's line, principles, and policies, and be adapted to the requirements of coordinated new urbanization and rural revitalization. The regulations emphasize the importance of government-led planning, unified planning, and localized solutions, as well as the balance between construction, management, maintenance, and operation.
(7) (3) Pressurize main responsibilities. The regulations further clarify that county governments are responsible for rural road development within their administrative areas, and require them to strengthen organizational leadership, implement supporting measures, coordinate and solve major problems in rural road work, and define the responsibilities of relevant departments of the State Council, local governments, and their departments.
(8) (4) Improve road network quality. The regulations prioritize the improvement of road network quality to meet the needs of the public for a better travel experience. The regulations require local transportation departments to implement rural road upgrading and renovation projects in accordance with the deployment of local governments, and to promote road network upgrading and extension in accordance with local conditions.
(9) (5) Strengthen management and maintenance. The regulations focus on the difficult problems faced by rural road management and maintenance, and emphasize the institutional requirements for rural road management and maintenance. Local transportation departments should work with relevant departments to implement the requirements for the delimitation and protection of village road construction control zones, and to strengthen the governance of over-limit transportation on rural roads.
(10) (6) Enhance safety guarantees. The regulations address the weak links in rural road safety management, and emphasize the importance of coordinating development and safety. Local transportation departments should strengthen daily patrols of rural roads, and respond promptly to situations that affect safe travel. The regulations require county governments to establish and improve rural road safety hazard identification and rectification mechanisms, and to enhance emergency response and disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities.
(11) (7) Promote integrated development. The regulations focus on serving the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, and emphasize the importance of promoting the integration of rural roads with surrounding infrastructure, industrial parks, and tourist attractions. Local transportation departments should promote local governments to take effective measures to promote the integration of rural roads with surrounding facilities, and to perfect policies and measures to ensure the sustainable operation of rural passenger transportation, promote the integration of rural passenger and freight transportation, expand the service functions of rural roads, and enhance their ability to facilitate urban-rural economic circulation.
(12) Third, provide strong guarantees for the implementation of the regulations.
(13) (1) Widespread learning and publicity. Local transportation departments should organize and implement learning and training programs to ensure that officials fully understand the content of the regulations and accurately grasp and implement relevant provisions.
(14) (2) Perfect supporting policies. Local transportation departments should review and refine local rural road policies and regulations in accordance with the regulations, and work to perfect and improve the rural road system to ensure that relevant regulations are consistent with the regulations.
(15) (3) Promote implementation. Local transportation departments should use the implementation of the regulations as an opportunity to plan key tasks and policies for rural road development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, and to implement the new round of rural road upgrading actions to promote the continuous improvement of rural road network quality, safety capabilities, and service levels.
(16) (4) Pay attention to experience exchange. Local transportation departments should focus on summarizing and reflecting on the experiences and practices of implementing the regulations, and reporting problems and suggestions in a timely manner. The Ministry of Transport will summarize and study these experiences, provide guidance, and organize exchanges of exemplary experiences.