China seeks rail link between Kunming and Kolkata

China is keen to establish a high speed rail link between Kunming and Kolkatta as
as part of its efforts to revive the ancient silk route, traversing through Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The proposal, which found a mention at the recently held Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) meet , seeks to give a boost to the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) multi-model corridor project initiated by China.
“We are in favour of it. The high speed corridor would help the economies of Myanmar and Bangladesh as well,” said Li Ji Ming, vice secretary of Yunnan provincial government while indicating funding from multilateral bodies such as Asian Development Bank.The 2800 kilometer rail route could be a critical component for the BCIM corridor that seeks cross border trade and flow of people.
China has pledged USD 40 billion for the silk route, having a trade potential of USD 132 billion.China has been endeavouring for a revival of the silk route with a visionary plan to establish wide ranging connectivity from Kunming to Kolkata.
Yunnan enjoys crucial geographical location, involving in GMS and BCIM regional cooperation.
“We are glad to know that after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office, the look east policy has substantially moved ahead. We hope we can join our efforts together. We are big partners and influential in the region,” he said.