China called SCO to step up construction of common infrastructure

China is calling the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) to accelerate construction of the common infrastructure network, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Premier of Chinese State Council Wen Jiabao as saying at the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the SCO member-states in Saint-Petersburg. “Creation of the common infrastructure network in transport, energy and telecommunications is an important prerequisite for enhancement of economic cooperation in the region,” Wen Jiabao said. Head of Chinese State Council has explained that the SCO member-states have to accelerate the work to lay trans-border motor transportation routes. “We support Kazakhstan's idea of construction of trans-Eurasian oil pipeline and electric power line. We support the idea of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan of construction and modernization of trans-border motorways and railroads in the SCO space. We are ready to render financial support, including soft loans,” Wen Jiabao suggested to his colleagues. Besides, the Chinese side is calling for accelerated creation of the SCO Energy Club. China is also ready to help develop alternative solar and wind energy sources. “China is paying a lot of attention to our cooperation in power energy and we are ready to continue rendering financial and technical support to the member-countries in construction of power network to jointly help decrease the number of people in the SCO countries who still have no access to electricity,” Premier of Chinese State Council said. According to the Chinese representative, joint efforts in agricultural sector could be another direction for joint activities. In particular, China offered its SCO partners to create a seed bank for experiments aimed at improving harvestd and intensifying agricultural production. China also called to promote development of sciene-and-technical potential of te member-countries in this as well as to cooperate in other realms. “I suggest to enhance cooperations in the areas where coordinated has already been established, like agricultural technologies, new materials, telecommunications, energy and energy-saving technologies,” he said. All that should be based on yet another Chinese initiative: development of financial-economic cooperation in the SCO and, particularly, creation of the SCO Development Bank that will allow to implement major regional projects. According to Wen Jiabao, full use of the Organization's capacities requires of free movement of goods, capital, technologies and services in the SCO space.