Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, COSCO Shipping and Lianyungang Port have agreed on joint development of the special economic zone “Khorgos Eastern Gate” and have already begun implementing the project. The parties expressed confidence that attracting additional capital would give a greater impetus to the development of a regional hub and to ensure the flow of goods between Europe and Asia. The infrastructure project will also facilitate the integration of Kazakhstan's Nurly Zhol program and Chinese initiative of a ‘Silk Road Economic Belt’.

ZHU XIANGYANG, PRESIDENT, PORT OF LIANYUNGANG :
- The road to the countries of Europe and Central Asia as well as China and the countries of South East Asia runs through Kazakhstan. It is the shortest and most profitable road for us. The heads of our countries proposed infrastructural and strategic projects. When the projects are united they will greatly enhance our cooperation. As a result, Kazakhstan will connect East and West and increase its trade potential.

Container transportation from the Lianyungang port through Central Asia to Turkey and then through the "Khorgos Eastern Gate" to the Chinese city of Chengdu opens up great prospects. Kazakhstan will get access to the sea and become the logistics center of Eurasia. Last year, 1,800 freight trains started running on China - Western Europe route. By 2020, the number of freight trains will increase to 5 thousand. In general, Kazakhstan can bring the volume of traffic to 18 million tons of cargo per year.

ZHANG XIAODONG, DEPUTY HEAD OF BEIJING INSTITUTE FOR TRANSPORTATION:
- Now 8 million tons of cargo passes through Kazakhstan in a year. But the country’s infrastructure is developing rapidly so this figure can be increased to 18 million tons per year. This is stipulated in the Nurly Zhol program.

Experts say that the unification of railway tariffs is underway. Infrastructure at the stations of passage of freight trains needs to be provided. The Kazakh side is already considering the possibility of introducing round-the-clock customs clearance of goods.