Chinese Consul General in Kolkata Ma Zhanwu said his country was mooting a bullet train service between Kunming and Kolkata, traversing through Myanmar and Bangladesh.
With joint efforts of India and China, a high-speed rail link could be established between the two cities, Mr Zhanwu said at a conference, reports NDTV.
“It will only take a few hours to reach Kolkata from Kunming if the rail link becomes a reality,” he asserted. The envoy also said that Myanmar and Bangladesh would benefit from the project.
“We may have a cluster of industries along the route. That increases the possibility of economic development of countries involved in the 2,800 km-long project,” he maintained.
The rail route was aimed at boosting trade flow in the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) corridor, Mr Zhanwu said, adding that his country has been striving for the revival of Silk Route to increase connectivity from Kunming to Kolkata.
Asserting that the much-vaunted Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is not a scheme designed by China to conquer the world or its neighbourhood, Mr Zhanwu said the project is all about “shared benefits and development” through consultations and discussions.
