You are here: Home > World > Diplomatic Exchanges

China signs railway deals with Romania, Hungary, Serbia

: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, November 26, 2013

Adjust font size:

China Monday signed railway agreements with Romania, Hungary and Serbia during Premier Li Keqiang's Central and Eastern European tour.

Premier Li Keqiang attends a welcoming ceremony with his Romanian counterpart Victor Ponta on his arrival at Bucharest airport in the Romanian capital on Monday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Romania is planning to build a high-speed railway using Chinese technology. The move is part of the cooperation plans being signed in Bucharest, the Romanian capital, as Premier Li Keqiang visits the country.

Working groups were to continue to discuss details of the pact on Monday along with other plans for infrastructure construction. "The value of the final deals will surely surprise us all," Li said.

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said that if his country's high-speed rail project goes ahead smoothly it will become a showcase for other countries in Central and Eastern Europe and hopefully lead to more deals.

Li said China reached an agreement with Hungary and Serbia to jointly build a railway between the latter two countries.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Hungarian and Serbian counterparts, Viktor Orban and Ivica Dacic, Li hailed the project as a landmark in cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.

The three sides, added the Chinese premier, will set up working groups immediately and advance the project with high quality as rapidly as possible for the benefit of passengers and cargo transporters.

"China has made rapid progress in railway construction since its reform and opening-up," said Li, noting that the country now has the world's second-largest railway network with the longest mileage of high-speed railway.

The needs of CEE countries for modern transportation and the technological, equipment, financial and other advantages of China in the area indicate that the project will surely benefit all parties involved, Li said.

The Chinese premier highlighted Chinese equipment as a new global trend due to its high quality with low prices.

In its cooperation with emerging markets in particular, the Chinese premier said, Chinese equipment will not only improve their infrastructure, but also reduce its own over-capacity and improve product and services quality.

Such win-win cooperation will benefit the concerned sides as well as the European Union and the world, Li said.

Li arrived in Bucharest on Monday for an official visit to Romania and a summit with leaders of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.

(Xinhua contributed to the story)

1 2 3 4 Next