About 85% of all land transit traffic from China to Europe passes through Kazakhstan, Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov said at the official opening ceremony of the 6th China International Import Expo in Shanghai on 5 November 2023.
Kazakhstan plays a strategic role as a regional transport and logistics hub, connecting the Eurasian continent with the Asia-Pacific region, Smailov said.
He listed the major projects that Kazakhstan is implementing jointly with China:
• International road corridor “Western Europe – Western China”
• Logistics center in the port of Lianyungang
• International center for cross-border trade “Khorgos”
• Joint dry port in the zone “Khorgos – Eastern Gate”
• New railway corridor “China – Kazakhstan – Turkmenistan – Iran”, etc.
Smailov suggested using the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route more actively to further increase container traffic on the China-Europe route. This route would reduce the transportation time of goods by almost half.
He also told that the construction of Kazakh terminals in the city of Xi’an and the Georgian port of Poti is underway. Plans include building a third railway checkpoint on the Kazakh-Chinese border, “dry ports” at the “Bakhty” and “Kalzhat” crossings, a container hub in Aktau, and expanding port facilities on the Black Sea along the Middle Corridor.
Smailov invited Chinese transport companies to participate in these projects and transport and logistics operators to actively use the cross-border transport infrastructure available in Kazakhstan. ///nCa, 7 November 2023
#Kazakhstan, #China, #Europe, #connectivity, #transport, #logistics, #Middle_corridor