China begins work on big Xinjiang logistic centre for CPEC

BEIJING: China has started construction work on a massive logistics complex in Xinjiang province to link it to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The project in the Tashkurghan Tajik Autonomous County covers an area of 58 hectares and will take a total investment of three billion yuan (USD 464 million), state-run Xinhua news agency quoted local government official as saying.

The county of Tashkurghan sits 3,200 meters above sea level in the Pamirs and is located close to the Kashgar town in Xinjiang which connects China with POK.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor ( CPEC) which included road, rail, pipelines and fibber optic links, connects resource-rich Xinjiang with Pakistan's Gwadar port.

India has protested to China over the project as it runs through the disputed Kashmir region.

The first stage of the three-stage project at Tashkurghan includes an Internet service administration centre, a cross-border e-commerce enterprise incubator, and a modern warehousing and logistic centre.

In the meantime, a comprehensive transportation system, especially for cross-border cold-chain logistics, will be further developed.

China currency settlement will be introduced as well, the report said.

Further stages will see the completion of a commodity exhibition centre, manufacturing and assembly factories, hotels, entertainment facilities and vehicle maintenance station.

The county's Karasu Customs, China's only land port open to Tajikistan and an important post along the planned CPEC, officially opened last year.