Sketches of Trans-Asia Railway (TAR) network.

Four "Silk Road Railways" for Eurasia Continent are expected to link 28 countries in Asia to web a huge network of economic cooperation in a bid to inject an immense energy into the regional economy. A planned TAR network at the Transport Ministerial Conference of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) held on Nov. 6 has become a focus of world attention. More than 300 people, including transport ministers or vice-ministers from 43 countries, including China, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Russia, and representatives of international organizations gathered in the port city of Bushan, ROK for this year's ministerial conference on transport organized by the United Nations ESCAP for the final phase negotiations for the trans-governmental negotiations.

Three of "Silk Road Railways" traverse China

Three of the four designated TAR routes are designated to pass through China, "Chosuni Ibo" Daily of ROK reports. The total length of the four TAR international routs is 81,000 kilometers (50,200 miles), comprising the north line that runs through the northern part of Asia, from the Korea Peninsula, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Russia, the south line that links the southern part of Asia, joining south China, Myanmar (Burma), India, Iran and Turkey, the north-south line that connects northern and southern Asia, connecting northern Europe, Russia, central Asia and the Persian Gulf, and the "Association of the Southeast Asian Nations"(ASEAN) line that traverses southern China and southeast Asian nations and regions.

"The TAR lays a framework for coordinated development of internationally important rail routes, "UNESCO chief Kim Hak-Su said. It not only facilitates cooperation and merging of the countries and regions in Asia but inject new energy into regional development.

There are huddles to remove for the connection of TAR routes

Such a gigantic project of course involved numerous difficulties, UNESCAP chief Kim acknowledged. It is still a long way to go before TAR railways goes into complete operation, he said, as there are inadequate indirect social capital in Southeast Asia and problems in such sectors as immigration and customs duties, and the joining of railways is also impacted by complex political and economic variables.

In his interview with "Global Times" reporter, Prof. Ren Xiao from the International Issues Research Institute of top Fudan University in Shanghai, said the construction of TAR network symbolizes the growing cooperation intention of Asian and European counties, and the conference held in Bushan precisely indicates such an intensifying intention. The TAR network is very developed and the crux of matter lies in how to connect the existing railways in various countries and fill up the vacant parts of the rail routes.

Other problems include technical ones to switch between different-gauge tracks. For instance, the gauge of Chinese rails is 1,435 mm whereas that of Russian rails is 1,520 mm, so trains have to be transferred at the border of the two countries. Moreover, there are also economic and political factors involved. Who will provide economically backward nations with funds and technologies for the construction of their railways, and some of in-service railways remain blocked solely for political reason, and the railway route that traverses through the Korea Peninsula is still impeded is case in point.

Will TAR spur Asian Alliance?

Prof. Ren cited the construction of the TAR network as a component part of trans-Asian cooperation, and said it will move forward continuously for this move complies with the national interests of Asian countries. With the rise of Japan and East Asia, the image of Asia began to change and, with the development of China and India in recent years, Asia has become more important in the world. If trans-Asia region is able to increase their contract and make noticeable progress in economics, trade, cultural activities, education, tourism and other fields, then will Asia be reunified as a EU-type identity, Ren queried, adding that it is still too early to talk about the integration of Asia, but the construction of TAR has indeed opened a new chapter for cooperation of Asian nations.

By People's Daily Online