The world's longest desert highway has started operation in Inner Mongolia of North China.  The 900-kilometer section stretches from Linhe district in Bayan Nur City to Baigeda in Alxa League. It's part of a project linking Beijing to Urumqi in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

When completed, the total length will be over two thousand kilometers. The Beijing-Urumqi highway is set to be fully operational next June.  It will help shorten travel time between the two cities by around a dozen hours.  The highway is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.  The plan is to build a land bridge crossing Asia and Europe, ending in the Dutch city of Rotterdam.