China to further cooperation with GSM members in transport sectors

China said on Tuesday it will intensify its cooperation with all member states of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) in road, railway, sea and air transport sectors.

In a country report on GMS cooperation issued Tuesday, the Chinese government said it aims to complete construction of a 1,800-kilometer highway linking Kunming and Bangkok via Laos before June 2006, and a 701-kilometer road between Kunming and Mohan port by the end of 2007.

Meanwhile, China will step up talks with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the relevant Thai and Laotian departments on the construction of Houayxay bridge in Laos and will take an active part in the negotiations and signing of the remaining annexes of an agreement on cross-border cargo and passenger transport in the GMS, the report said.

In the railway sector, it said China will assist the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in building the Pan-Asia Railway.

It said the Chinese government will soon start construction of 141 kilometers of railways linking Yuxi, Mengzi and Hekou -- which make up the eastern section of the Pan-Asia Railway -- at the cost of 4.5 billion yuan (542 million US dollars).

China will also include in its agenda the construction of the central and western sections of the Pan-Asia Railway and is ready to encourage domestic firms to bid for overseas sections of the Railway as well, the report said.

The Chinese government has also funded the navigation channel improvement project on the Upper Mekong River and will hold amicable discussions with other countries in the region on port formalities and charges, customs inspection and water traffic management.

On the other hand, China has in the report pledged to boost maritime transport between major ports of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and other GMS countries in order to supplement each other in the Lancang River-Mekong navigation channel.

China has presently opened scheduled routes with all GMS member nations. The report said the Chinese aviation department is ready to work with its counterparts in other GMS countries to open more cargo and passenger flights and will further explore the possibility of gradually opening the air transport market.

Source: Xinhua