China to push for progress on BCIM corridor during PM's visit

BEIJING: China is expected to push for progress on Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar ( BCIM) economic corridor during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit here next week as the venture is of "great significance" in linking South Asia and East Asia for economic activity.

The proposal was discussed during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to India in May. It aims to connect Kolkata with China's Kunming city with a highway running through Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The corridor has a "great significance because it links South Asia with East Asia and (is) conducive to regional economic activity," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing here today.

The corridor will strengthen mutual investment, trade and infrastructure and other areas of cooperation. It will help step up cooperation to build industrial parks as well as establishing railway connectivity, Hua said.

She said the consultations were on between all the four countries to advance the project, which was expected to revitalise the region.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni is visiting Beijing ahead of Singh's visit while Myanmar military chief Min Aung Hlaing visited China this week for talks with President Xi Jinping and other top leaders.

Moni is visiting Beijing from October 19 to 22. "We are in close communication with relevant parties" on the project, Hua said when asked whether the BCIM project would come up for discussions with Moni.

"We hope that through our concerted efforts such an important co-operation can be advanced and yield fruitful outcome and advance the development of the four countries and the world," she said.

The corridor will complement both Indian and Chinese economies she said. "During Singh's visit we hope to deepen the strategic mutual trust and continuously expand bilateral co-operation."

"We believe as two large ancient civilisations and developing countries, China and India have a combined population of one third of the world. Cooperation between the two countries will serve the interest of the world.

"We expect to strengthen cooperation with the Indian side," during Singh's visit, she said.