Chinese initiative to build Belgrade-Budapest high-speed rail

cir

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February 21, 2013 | 13:41

Chinese initiative to build high-speed rail

Source: Tanjug

BELGRADE -- The Chinese Embassy in Budapest has launched an initiative for the construction of high-speed rail on Corridor 10 between Belgrade and Budapest.

Tweet Tanjug is quoting Serbian Ministry of Transport sources who on Thursday said that the rail would have trains traveling faster than 300 km/h.

The total value of the investment would add up to EUR 2 billion, early estimates show.

According to Chinese representatives, officials should discuss the possibility of building the railway for trains that go at speeds of over 300 km/h since it would be built in almost perfect conditions thanks to the environment.

Trains connecting the two countries would be modern, of the latest generation which are used in China nowadays.

Hungary knows about the idea and the first steps in terms of the initiation of talks have been made, and report about this has been presented during the recent meeting between the head of the Economic Department of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade and Serbian Minister of Transport Milutin Mrkonjić, the news agency reported.

Talks on the model and the ownership structure of the project should also be conducted. At this stage, it is known that Chinese investors allocated the funds from the Chinese Development Fund aimed at investments in south-east Europe.

Chinese officials suggested that loans should be ensured and this matter should be discussed by the governments of Serbia and Hungary.

The Chinese initiative for the construction of high-speed rail was also discussed at the session which the joint Hungary-Serbia commission held last December, and it was included in the conclusions on the commission's work.

According to analyses issued so far and the data procured from economic and expert teams, the railway would pay off and its construction would be justified since the flow of passengers, goods and capital between the two countries is constantly increasing.

Back in 1992, the European Commission defined the idea for the construction of the Belgrade-Budapest railway as one of the priorities in the sector of the development of railway infrastructure.

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cir

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China Said to Approve Joining Iran Railway Project

By Bloomberg News

2013-02-18

China's State Council approved plans to take part in the building of a high-speed railway line in Iran, two people familiar with the matter said.

The project will cost at least $1 billion and the companies participating haven't yet been set, said the two people, who asked not to be identified because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

China's decision comes as the U.S., the European Union and their allies have tightened sanctions on Iran for a nuclear program they argue is meant to develop atomic bombs. Iran maintains its program is peaceful.

China and Iran have maintained "normal business cooperation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a briefing in Beijing today. China is the biggest buyer of Iranian crude oil.

Current sanctions are costing Iran about $98.9 million a day in lost oil sales, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Iran is to resume stalled multilateral discussions on its nuclear program with the U.S., U.K. France, Germany, Russia and China on Feb. 26 in Kazakhstan. The last round of negotiations between Iran and the group, known as P5+1, failed to yield results.

The U.S. imposed new sanctions earlier this month that would keep importers from paying for oil with dollars and euros.
 

satish007

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from the map, we still have many chances.
not many 300 KM and many are still grey <200KM
 

amoy

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China's Railway Diplomacy in the Balkans | The Jamestown Foundation
Beijing appears to be following a strategic plan to establish a transportation infrastructure network in the Balkans in order to bolster Chinese exports to Europe and support its "going out" policy for Chinese SOEs. This infrastructure strategy is welcomed by CEE countries, as it provides much-needed development opportunities and a competitive edge for their economies. It is therefore likely that some other European countries will be pressed into considering HSR and other infrastructure development projects themselves in order to remain competitive and to secure developmental opportunities, opening the way for further projects delivered by Chinese SOEs and financed by Chinese banks—a one-two punch that the EU is evidently unable to match at home or abroad in its current economic fragility.
Belgrade-Budapest high-speed rail ready in 2017 | Balkans | Worldbulletin News

Serbia reached an agreement Tuesday with China for the construction of a high speed railway between Belgrade and Budapest.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Chinese Minister of Transport of the People's Republic of China Yang Chuantang met at the summit of government officials from China and countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

A statement released Tuesday said that Vucic and Chuantang had agreed on the details of the project including the timetable for research which is to be completed by June 2015, as well as on the means to finance the project and on the date for completing the project which is set for June 2017. Negotiations for the project began on Vucic's visit to the People's Republic of China in September 2014.

The high-speed railway is to run on a double track for rolling stock that can travel at 124 miles per hour (200 kilometers per hour).

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang is expected to hold talks with Vucic and his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban about high-speed train construction.

Sixteen nations were represented at the summit, including many of the former Yugoslav states, the Baltic countries and EU members Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

The initiative is part of Serbia's plan to become China's gateway to the Balkans and to Europe.

The summit was initiated three years ago in Budapest, and meetings were held in Warsaw in April 2012 and in Bucharest in November of last year.



-------------------Europeans are certainly more credible partners. :namaste:
 
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amoy

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the Serbia-China friendship bridge


We are fortunate in our strategic location and this, coupled with growing political and economic links with the wider world, means that we are well placed to become the gateway between east and west. China is no longer a developing country but rather a modern superpower with a central role in the global economy. Far from being the world's low-cost manufacturing base, its economic future lies in the areas of technology and brand development.

China is expanding its investment footprint across different countries and sectors and is looking increasingly to south-eastern Europe and the Balkans. With our proximity to EU markets, lower operating costs and support for foreign direct investment, I believe that it is a more attractive destination for Chinese firms than ever.

We have already seen a real appetite from Chinese investors for opportunities in Serbian infrastructure. A clear illustration of this is the new bridge across the Danube opening this month built by the China Road and Bridge Corporation, which involved an investment of $260m. This is far from the only example of a successful Sino-Serbian venture.

Serbia, traditionally strong in technology and engineering, is ideally placed to support China as it looks to re-position its economy through investment in technology and innovation and to engage with international research and development networks.

We have a strong track record of excellence in maths and science education, which adds to our skills base. Furthermore, as the global economy suffers from an increasing shortage of IT and engineering talent, Serbia offers foreign investors a range of financial incentives including tax holidays for major investment projects, grants and the ability to import equipment tariff-free.

Some of the biggest global names are already taking notice: Microsoft has chosen Belgrade as the home of one of its leading research and development centres in Europe to capitalise on the quality of talent available, while benefiting from far lower overheads than in the US. Siemens is another world leader in technology which has chosen to invest in Serbia.

Our talent and skills base are just as attractive to Chinese tech giants and, and the China National Electric Engineering Company has already announced plans to invest $1.2bn in Serbia.

Hosting the China-Balkans summit this week affirms our developing regional cooperation. It gives extra-importance to our vigour in pursuing our European path. We will use all these strengthened regional and international ties to reform our economy, create more jobs, raise the living standards of our people, and give them hope that the future is something they can look forward to.
Aleksandar Vucic is Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia

China-built Danube bridge in Serbia to be up and running on time - China.org.cn

 

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