China planning to build bullet train to Kolkata via Bangladesh
The Chinese Consul General, Ma Zhanwu said that China was planning a bullet train service between Kunming and Kolkata. This train will transverse through Myanmar and Bangladesh.
A high-speed rail link could be established between the two cities. This bullet train can be made possible with the joint efforts of both the countries. And if the bullet train becomes a reality, it will only take a few hours to reach Kunming from Kolkata.
Myanmar and Bangladesh would also benefit from the project. A cluster of industries will spring up along the route. The route will be 2800 km long, thus providing a variety of opportunities for economic growth.
The project was also mentioned at the Greater Mekong Subregion Meet (GMS) in Kunming in 2015. The main purpose of the bullet train railroad is to boost the trade flow in the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) corridor.
Mr Zhanwu added that China has been pushing towards the resurfacing and reemergence of the silk route. This will increase connectivity from Kunming to Kolkata.
The Silk Route was an ancient network of trade routes. It connected the east and the west. It was also a central part of the cultural interaction among the various regions of the different countries. The name of the Silk Road is derived from the lucrative trade of silk carried out along this road China during the period of the Han dynasty.
Mr Zhanwu strongly asserted that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is not a scheme designed China to conquer the world and its neighbouring countries. He added that the project is only aimed at shared benefits and development through consultations, discussions and negotiations.
The Kolkata-Kunming bullet train project, if made into a reality, would truly show the global partnership that China has been aiming at with India, and in an unprecedented turn of events, become an ally to the country.
