China's transport sector posts strong first-quarter growth

China's passenger and freight transportation sectors posted steady growth in the first quarter of this year, with key indicators reflecting stable economic performance and positive momentum, the Ministry of Transport said on Thursday.

"The transport sector made a strong start in the first three months, fully leveraging efforts to stabilize growth, promote development, and ensure a solid opening to the year," Jin Jingdong, deputy director of the ministry's Department of Comprehensive Planning, said at a news conference in Beijing.

The strong performance across multiple transport sectors highlights the resilience and recovery of China's transportation industry and lays a solid foundation for sustained economic growth in the months ahead, Jin said.

Passenger mobility remained robust, with a total of 17.39 billion inter-regional trips made nationwide in the first quarter, up 4 percent from a year earlier. The 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, known as chunyun, reached a historic high with 9.02 billion inter-regional trips, setting a new national record.

In the same period, China handled 13.06 billion metric tons of commercial freight, a 4.9 percent year-on-year increase — one percentage point higher than the growth recorded in 2024.

The country's booming express delivery sector also sustained strong momentum, with 45.14 billion parcels delivered in the first quarter, up 21.6 percent from the previous year.

Meanwhile, fixed-asset investment in the transport sector remained high, totaling 675.2 billion yuan ($92.5 billion). Investment in railways and waterways rose by 5.2 percent and 10.2 percent year-on-year, respectively.

China's international cruise market also experienced a notable rebound. In the first quarter, 16 cruise ships operated 141 voyages, transporting 328,000 passenger trips — a 67.8 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

During the Spring Festival period, cruise passenger volume surged to 172,000, marking a 145.6 percent year-on-year increase.