The project of building a high-speed railway linking Beijing and Shanghai has been approved by the central government, Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun said on Wednesday in Beijing.

In an interview the minister said the railway, an important project in China's mid- and long-term railway network scheme, will help ease the strained railway transport situation between the country's two largest cities.

The high-speed railway will be built using technologies developed by China itself, he said, adding that investment channels for the project will be expanded to encourage fund-raising by domestic and overseas investors.