Kazakh Railways chief upbeat on co-op with China

Kazakhstan and China have bright prospects in railway cooperation, which is developing dynamically, said Askar Mamin, president of Kazakhstan Railways.

Both the volume of traffic and the number of transit corridors are growing steadily between the two countries, Mamin said in a recent interview with Xinhua during the 2nd International Transport and Logistics business forum titled "The New Silk Road", held in Astana.

In the first nine months of this year, the volume of traffic by rail between the two countries increased by 20 percent year-on-year, Mamin said.

Mamin pointed out that Kazakhstan and China have done a lot to actively promote bilateral cooperation in railways.

A new cross-border railway between Kazakhstan and China passing the Horgos station was opened on Dec. 22, 2012.

Kazakhstan is implementing the New Silk Road program, which is expected to result in the construction of a large number of major transport infrastructure projects, including railways.

The railway system will have great transit potential and be important to Kazakhstan's economy, Mamin said, adding that it will improve the competitiveness of Kazakhstan in terms of export and transit.

Under agreements signed between Kazakhstan and China, the Kazakh railway firm and the Lianyungang Port in east China's Jiangsu province will co-establish a container logistics center to facilitate the distribution of goods between Kazakhstan and Japan, South Korea, and Southeastern Asian countries via the Lianyungang harbor.

Mamin said that this project will give Kazakhstan an opportunity to reach the eastern ports of China to create a hub for goods.

Mamin also said that the construction of the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe transport corridor is very important, as it will save a lot of time for international transportation.

Mamin said that the proposal by Chinese President Xi Jinping to establish an economic belt stretching along the ancient Silk Road consists of many components, which should include the development of all forms of transport.