2017-5-19

Railway is like the artery of China’s national economy, and serves as the main axis of the Silk Road Economic Belt. Promoting the Belt and Road railway infrastructure inter-connectivity has significant meanings and merits in-depth studies.

The status quo of the Belt and Road railway infrastructure inter-connectivity. The Belt and Road routes run through the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa and connects the vibrant East Asia economic circle with the developed European economic circle.

The problems facing the Belt and Road railway infrastructure inter-connectivity are as follows. 1. There are difficulties relating to planning and construction. 2. The standard systems are not unified. 3. It is difficult to coordinate various political forces. 4. Supporting facilities are inadequate. 5. The operation and management capability needs to be improved. 6. The international multimodal transport system remains to be fleshed out.

Strategic targets of the Belt and Road railway infrastructure inter-connectivity. Guided by the Belt and Road Initiative and taking China as the starting point, the government needs to connect China’s railway with that of other countries in the northeast, northwest and southwest, and build three economic circles. The strategy of the Belt and Road railway inter-connectivity focuses on six corridors, namely, the China-Indochina Peninsula corridor, the China-Pakistan corridor, the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar corridor, the China-Central and West Asia corridor, the China-Europe corridor and the China-Mongolia-Russia corridor.

The general principle of promoting the Belt and Road railway infrastructure inter-connectivity is based on the following concepts. While focusing on the strategic target of building a safe and efficient railway corridor, the government needs to establish a steering committee to coordinate the construction of relevant projects, strive to obtain the strategic recognition and support of the countries along the Belt and Road routes, and create a sound investment and operation environment. The policy options include: 1. The government needs to establish a steering committee to coordinate the construction of relevant projects. 2. The government needs to promote the regulated operation of the China-Europe Corridor. 3. The government needs to push forward the construction of international railway corridors in an orderly manner. 4. The government needs to improve the road network construction in western China. 5. The government needs to accelerate the internationalization of standards. 6. The government needs to make innovations relating to systems and mechanisms.