China Direct

Xinjiang plans to invest RMB 16.8 billion in railway infrastructure in 2013

 

 

Xinjiang recently announced plans to invest RMB 16.8 billion (US$2.71 billion) in its railway infrastructure in 2013, which will significantly exceed the RMB 11.6 billion invested in 2011 and the RMB 12.9 billion in 2012.

12 railway projects started construction last year, of which four were completed. The other eight projects remain under construction.

Please read more here in an article by Transport Weekly. For more information about opportunities in Xinjiang please contact Ms Xia Diya of the Xinjiang EXPO department of MOFCOM: xiadiya@mofcom.gov.cn or tel: 00 86 991 5190457

Atkins wins Karamay project work in Xinjiang

 

 

CBI member Atkins was recently commissioned to design the new Donghu central leisure area in Karamay in Xinjiang.

Commissioned by the Karamay Construction Bureau, the project, which evolved from Atkins' masterplan completed last year, will feature landscaped scenic parkland with facilities such as a waterside climbing wall and white water rafting alongside a lake with boating berths and a single span bridge.

 

On completion, the park will be the primary location for leisure in Karamay and cover an area of 3.41 square kilometres.

The project is Atkins' biggest and most complex multidisciplinary project in mainland China to date.

Clive Horsman, Atkins' director for landscape in the Asia-Pacific region, said, "Karamay exists in the far north-west of China in semi-desert conditions, and the annual temperature swing of over 70°C between seasons presents us with some challenging design issues. Our technical teams are drawing on extensive local expertise in order to find the sustainable ecological solutions we need and in the choice of materials that will withstand the extreme heat and cold variations.

"This presented particular problems for keeping the area well irrigated in the summer as well as dealing with the winter freeze, but we have largely dealt with that by using natural resources from the nearby northern mountains.

This will make sure that local plants and vegetation and natural habitats are preserved. In addition, the construction of the bridge had to be carefully planned to take account of the freezing and expansion challenges, which meant looking closely at material choices and specifications."

Please click here to read the full press release by Atkins.

Xinjiang Government visit CBI HQ and sign cooperation agreement

 

 

(CBI Deputy Director-General Neil Bentley and Li Jingyuan, Secretary General of the Secretariat of the China-Eurasia Expo, sign the cooperation agreement at the CBI's headquarters in London)

Last Friday, a delegation from Xinjiang in northwestern China visited the CBI's headquarters in London, and both parties signed the Cooperation Agreement between the CBI and the Secretariat of the China-Eurasia Expo.

The CBI and the Secretariat aim to make positive contributions to strengthening ties between businesses in Xinjiang and Great Britain through public promotion, mutual visits, trade fairs and expositions, business travel, consultancy, etc.

Xinjiang has significant opportunities for British business, particularly in energy, minerals and manufacturing equipment, agricultural products, and pharmaceuticals.

With high levels of growth projected for the region, equipment and advanced technologies will be needed in these fields.

The China-Eurasia Expo aims to promote steady development, multilateral cooperation, and economic stability throughout the Eurasian region, and the third China-Eurasia Expo, running under the theme
of "Mutual trust, mutual benefit" will be held in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, in September 2013.

Highlights on Xinjiang include:

     • Accounting for one-sixth of China's land mass, Xinjiang is the westernmost region in the country,  occupying a strategic geographic location, which allows it to function as a bridge between Asia and  Europe.

     • Key sectors in Xinjiang include oil and gas, agriculture, minerals, etc.

     • Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Xinjiang reached US$396 million in the first 11 months of 2012, 
up 30.8% compared to a year earlier.


     • Examples of CBI members active in Xinjiang include:

          o In January 2013, CBI member Rolls-Royce announced that it won a US$75 million contract to 
supply PetroChina with equipment and related services to power the flow of natural gas through Line
3 of China's West-East Pipeline Project (WEPP), the world's longest pipeline and a key part of China's drive towards cleaner energy consumption.

Please read more here.

 o In January 2013, CBI member Atkins was commissioned to design the new Donghu central leisure
area in Karamay. Commissioned by the Karamay Construction Bureau, the project, which evolved from Atkins' masterplan completed last year, will feature landscaped scenic parkland with facilities such as a waterside climbing wall and white water rafting alongside a lake with boating berths and a single span bridge. On completion, the park will be the primary location for leisure in Karamay and cover an area of 3.41 square kilometres.

The project is Atkins' biggest and most complex multidisciplinary project in mainland China to date.

Please read more here.

o CBI member Unilever has worked on promoting sustainable agriculture in Xinjiang, sending scientists
to the region to train farmers in the efficient use of fertilisers, which has helped increase crop output.

o In November 2012, CBI member INEOS announced that INEOS Technologies had licensed its  Innovene PP Process for the manufacture of homopolymers, random copolymers, and impact 
copolymers to China Shenhua Coal to Chemical Xinjiang Coal Chemical Company for its new project
in Xinjiang.

Please read more here.

INEOS announces new Xinjiang deal with Shenhua

CBI member INEOS recently announced that INEOS Technologies had licensed its Innovene PP Process for the manufacture of homopolymers, random copolymers, and impact copolymers to China
Shenhua Coal to Chemical Xinjiang Coal Chemical Company for its new project in Xinjiang in western China.

The 450 KTA Innovene PP plant, downstream from a MTO unit, will produce a wide range of polypropylene products to serve the growing PP market in China.

Peter Williams, CEO of INEOS Technologies, said, "INEOS Technologies is very proud of the fact that China Shenhua Group Corporation Limited has again chosen INEOS technology platform for the development of its polypropylene business."

Please click here to read the full press release by INEOS.

Royal Mail Group launches partnership with ZJS Express

 
[Image courtesy of www.royalmail.com]

 CBI member Royal Mail Group recently announced that GLS, its European parcels business, is forming a partnership with ZJS Express, a leading national Chinese express company.

The partnership will provide a new, fully tracked, business-to-business parcel delivery service from China to Europe, including the U.K.

GLS will provide a gateway to Europe for Chinese exporters with its service delivery platform and logistics technology. ZJS will become a GLS global partner, bringing coverage across China and local knowledge. The association will trade in China as Euro Business Parcel, a GLS established service brand. Parcelforce Worldwide will act as its delivery arm in the U.K.

Mark Thomson, Managing Director International at Royal Mail Group, said, "China is a key trading partner for Europe. The China-to-Europe parcels market is growing rapidly. Last year, China was the biggest exporter of goods to the E.U. This presents us with a great opportunity to link our European operations with ZJS Express' network for the benefit of Chinese businesses exporting to Europe."

Chen Xiaobao, President of ZJS, said, "ZJS Express has a well-established, trusted reputation for providing high-quality next-day and two-day parcel service in China across provinces, cities, counties, and districts from remote outposts such as Huoerguosi Port in Xingjing to great cities such as Shanghai and Xi'an. This cooperation now enables us to meet our customers' demands to extend our high-quality service to major European countries."

Please click here to read the full press release by Royal Mail Group.