A New Beijing to Moscow Express
Late last year, China and Russia signed an agreement to build a high-speed railway that would slash travel time between Moscow and Beijing from five days to just 30 hours.
The new 7,700-kilometre route will cost 1.5 trillion yuan (Bt7.9 trillion) and become a link in the Eurasian land bridge also known as the New Silk Road Economic Belt.
This belt will connect China with Central Asia, Europe and the Middle East as well as India and Southeast Asia. There are also plans for the construction of a rail tunnel linking Japan and Korea to the system.
The project is enormously ambitious and encompasses dozens of countries. Together with the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which will also link Asia with Africa, it has become known as part of the “belt and road” strategy.
This strategy was the subject of a forum held by Bangkok Bank last month. The speakers agreed on its huge significance and the expected boost to the economies of countries such as Thailand that lie along the route.
However, Blaise Godet, a former Swiss ambassador to China, raised concerns about the creation of such a giant Chinese powerhouse. He said there are tensions within the region and these might be aggravated by foreign policy differences between Europe and China, including their attitudes towards Russia.
Despite the ambitious nature of the Beijing-Moscow express, which would be one of the longest rail journeys in the world, the work is expected to proceed swiftly.
In China, 2,270 kilometres of rail track are expected to be completed this year and Russia has already made substantial progress in upgrading the Trans-Siberian railway, which would connect with the Chinese lines.
The Moscow-Beijing express would travel on existing 1520-gauge rails. While this is wider than the 1435 gauge adopted by China and Europe, they can be modified to allow the high-speed trains to run on them.
The high-speed railroad is expected to be completed within five years. While train buffs will be excited at the prospect of this new route, which will pass some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, the most important benefit will come from trade.
Similar to the rail networks planned for Thailand, the rail line will be dual track – capable of carrying both passengers and freight. It will help to integrate vast markets across Eurasia serving more than four billion people and stretching from Beijing to Moscow.
Possibly the best answer to concerns that the “belt and road” strategy might unduly concentrate Chinese power and create conflicts is to point to the 2,000- plus years of history of the ancient silk trading routes.
Over the millennia, they connected many countries and encouraged peaceful trade, bringing together many diverse races, religions, political systems and cultures.
