On January 21, the signing ceremony for the Xinjiang Xinhe–Baicheng Railway Branch Line project (the "Xin-Bai Railway Branch Line") was held in Beijing.
The Xin-Bai Railway Branch Line project is a major project under the Aksu Prefecture "12th Five-Year Plan" and has been listed as a near-term project in the National Medium- and Long-Term Railway Network Plan (2008 Adjustment). At present, the preliminary work for the project is nearing completion. Construction will begin before June 2016, with a total investment of 2.717 billion yuan, a total length of 95.2 kilometers, and a construction period of 38 months.
The Xin-Bai Railway Branch Line project is consistent with the national "Belt and Road" development strategy and is a controlling project for opening up the Southern Xinjiang corridor. It is of great significance for enabling Southern Xinjiang's rich agricultural, mineral, and cultural resources to "go global" and for bringing in capital, technology, talent, and projects, thereby promoting economic and social development in Southern Xinjiang.
Envoys from 13 countries, including Pakistan, Russia, Laos, Indonesia, and Mongolia, attended the signing ceremony and spoke highly of the significance of the Xin-Bai Railway Branch Line to the "Belt and Road" strategy.
Railways are the main artery of the national economy and key infrastructure. Accelerating railway construction is of great significance for stabilizing growth, adjusting the structure, and improving people's livelihoods. Last year, five departments—the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Land and Resources, the China Banking Regulatory Commission, and the National Railway Administration—jointly issued and published the Implementation Opinions on Further Encouraging and Expanding Social Capital Investment in Railway Construction, fully opening the railway investment and operation market.
Relevant experts said that attracting private capital is an important measure for deepening the reform of the railway investment and financing system and accelerating railway construction, and is also of great significance for promoting diversified investment and financing methods, improving the implementation mechanism for social capital investment, and improving the environment for social capital investment. The successful introduction of private capital into the Xin-Bai Railway Branch Line project will provide a model for railway investment and financing.