BEIJING, Jan. 18 -- China reported 65,000 kilometers of highways designed for fast traffic by the end of 2009, second only to the United States, said Li Shenglin, Minister of Communications, on Friday.

China opened 4,719 kilometers of expressways in 2009 and launched construction of 16,000 kilometers of expressways last year as a result of increased investment in infrastructure, Li said at a national work meeting in Beijing.

According to the strategic plan for highway development in 2005,by 2020, China will establish a national highway network, totaling100,000 kilometers, about the length in the United States today.

The network could be achieved ahead of time based on the current development speed, Li said.

China has maintained its second place in the world in terms of expressway lengths since 2001.