Silk Route province for direct air link to Delhi

Reviving ties dating back to the famed Silk Route, one of China8217;s most resource-rich provinces has suggested direct air services betwee...

Reviving ties dating back to the famed Silk Route, one of China8217;s most resource-rich provinces has suggested direct air services between Xinjiang and India.

The proposal has come from Ismail Tiliwaldi, chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, now visiting India.

The delegation wants to do the groundwork for starting air links so that when India and China rework their existing air agreement next year, the new route can be finalised.

The delegation from China will be holding talks with Civil Aviation Secretary Ajay Prasad on Tuesday.

Guan Wu Ping, Director of Civil Aviation Administration in Urumqi, said the the air bilateral agreement will have to be modified to cater to such direct flights.

The alternatives being proposed by Xinjiang are:

8226; Urumqi-Delhi-Urumqi

8226; Kashgar-Delhi-Kashgar

8226; Beijing-Urumqi-Delhi-Urumqi-Beijing

Apart from discussing the overall increase in flights, the agreement would have to include the new ports of call.

At present, China Eastern Airlines operates return flights twice a week from Beijing to Delhi via Shanghai while one more is expected to be added to this list on November 1. China Eastern is interested in expanding its operations and is looking to fly to cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

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Tiliwaldi told the Confederation of Indian Industry that Urumqi enjoys the same preferential treatment extended to Chinese coastal cities.

8216;8216;We have immense resources. Xinjiang accounts for 40 per cent of China8217;s coal reserves and 30 per cent of natural gas reserves. In fact, there is a gas pipeline being built from Xinjiang to Shanghai,8217;8217; he said.

Tiliwaldi said Xinjiang and India could work together on areas like agriculture and food processing, traditional medicine and herbs, energy and oil production as well as tourism.

8216;8216;We have improved our infrastructure and today there are 13 airports in Xinjiang. There should be direct air link between India and Xinjiang. Kashgar is less than two hours away by air.8217;8217;

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Eventuality, he wanted road links to be developed too. Recalling the ancient ties between India and Xinjiang, which borders Jammu and Kashmir, Tiliwaldi said: 8216;8216;It is better to have neighbours as close friends than have relatives far away.8217;8217;