The Chinese government seeks the opportunities to create a free trade zone in the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Premier of the State Council of China Li Keqiang urged the member states to concentrate joint efforts in order to attain free movement of commodities, capitals, services, and technologies within the SCO. It is planned to establish the free trade zone by 2020. According to the premier, China is ready to take part in common projects together with other SCO members. “The SCO member states possess a huge resource potential. China is ready to provide its mature technology, equipment and contracting services, combining its technological capabilities with development needs of the member states. China can also co-build factories, carry out production and manufacturing to increase local employment opportunities,” said Li Keqiang. Besides, the Chinese official emphasized in his speech the need to build up a single transportation network that, like the Silk Road, will connect Europe and Asia. Notably, the SCO member countries have already signed an agreement on enabling favorable conditions for international transportation by road, and now a system of highways is being developed in the region. “Eventually, it is necessary to create a single transportation network on Eurasia with a hub in the Central Asian region,” the head of China’s State Council summarized. The project looks interesting for the Russian government as well. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who attended the SCO meeting, said that “the idea of an integrated transport system within the SCO seems to hold much promise using the potential of the already existing or newly created transport corridors, including the Trans-Siberian Railroad and the Baikal-Amur Mainline. We’re currently laying down the legal groundwork for this."
