China and Pakistan will open four new passenger and cargo road links in the first half of the year.

Two of the four roads are for cargo transportation and the other two are for passengers and they will be opened on May 1 and June 1 respectively, according to an agreement signed Wednesday between the transport ministries of the two countries in Urumqi, capital of northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The two cargo routes run from Kashi in southern Xinjiang to Pakistan's ports of Karachi, Qasim and Gwadar. The passenger lines are from Kashi and Taxkorgan, also in southern Xinjiang, to Pakistan's northern Gilgit and Sost Pass respectively.

The two transport ministries also agreed to have two regular meetings each year, held in Pakistan and China, to exchange information.

The number of road links between Pakistan and China will rise to eight.

(Xinhua News Agency March 23, 2006)