Greater Altai

Research on New Eurasian Continent Bridge and the Transnational Development of Eastern Central Asia Economic Region // Conference on Scientific-Technical Cooperation and Economic Development of Altai Region. Proceedings (Altai, Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous Region, PRC, 2000), pp. 147-151

By Liu Jianfu and Gu Jiayu

Xinjiang Sciences & Technology Committee, Urumqi, PRC

I. Backgrounds

1.1. The scope of Eastern Central Asia Economic Region (ECAER)

1.1.1 The ECAER, composed of Xinjiang of China, Altai frontier region of Russia, East Kazakhstan state of Kazakhstan and Bajanolgil and Kebudo of Northern Mongolia, has a total area of 591.6 thousand sq.km and a population of 4466 thousand.

1.1.1 The natural conditions of ECAER

• - The Altai region of China has a high latitude and a typical continental temperature with an annual average temperature of 3-4 degrees centigrade and a frost-free period of 90-140 days. It has 0.15 billion ha. Of grassland, 8.675 million ha. Of forest, 1.6 million ha. Thousand ha. Of arable land, 0.133 billion cubic meters of surface water run-off and 84 kinds of metal and non-metal in mineral resources. It produces 0.138 billion kg. Of grain yields, 2500 thousand livestock, 38 thousand tons of meat, 1.685 million grams of gold and 9.12 billion kwh. Of electric power. Moreover, it has more than 30 tourism sites and opens up 4 border posts.
• - The Altai frontier area and Altai Republic of Russia, its one-third areas are covered by forest. There is a developed agriculture, mainly producing wheat, grain, beet, sunflower, potato and vegetable; its industry mainly focuses on machine manufacturing, petrochemical, wooden material processing, light industry and mining. It also has an outstanding animal husbandry and poultry raising.
• - East Kazakhstan state of Kazakhstan is a larger region. It has 1.231 million ha. Of arable land, 9.19 million ha. Of cultivated land, 386 thousand ha. Of cut grassland. Ertix river is a main river in this state. There are lakes like Oz. Zajsan and Oz. Alkol. The growth period of crops is 169-198 days. It has similar structures in agriculture and animal husbandry with a certain development of fishery and hunting. Its industry mainly focuses on electric power, food processing, light industry, machine manufacturing and construction. The traffic condition is very good with a high density of railroads.
• - Bajanolgil province of Mongolia, holding an area of 46 thousand sq.km and a population of 100 thousand, most of which are Kazakhstan, is rich in mineral resources and wild animals. Kebudo province has a population of 100 thousand and 1.6 million livestock. It is the province that produces most grains and has some special economic crops. Its industry mainly focuses on food processing, woods industry, light industry and construction.

1.1.3. According to geographic location and the environmental condition, there are many relative regional combinations among Altai of Xinjiang, New Siberia of Russia, Eastern part of Kazakhstan and Western part of Mongolia. Therefore, with a wider region considerations, making this region a whole body to do research will have the following important purposes:

• - With the opening of new Eurasia Continent Bridge and faced the circumstances of the world economy becoming more international, the economy of this region will be promoted to a way of more international, regional and transnational. At present, China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia have made wider contacts and various kinds of co-operations, the trades among the countries have grown very quickly. In 1999, the total sum of import and export in Altai had reached 2.91 million dollars, the annual average increasing rate had reached 46.4 percent during the 8th-five-year and 9th-five-year plan period.
• - With the penetration of open policy into the frontier area in China, the developments of these regions have come to a new era, a lot of economic and technological developing regions have been built and many ports opened up, but the researches on how to carry out transnational development along the ports are still needed to undergo further, both in theory and in practice.
• - The four countries - China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia have close economic contacts in this region. From the point view of mutual benefits, eastern Kazakhstan, an important metallurgical base, has better technology and material. It has come to the mature stage of resource cultivation. Meanwhile, the Altai region of Xinjiang is still in the first stage of mineral cultivation, so the metallurgical technologies of Kazakhstan can be introduced into Altai or even Xinjiang to promote heir development. From the point view of mutual complements, New Siberia is a heavy industrialized area, but its agricultural products and non-staple food can be imported from Xinjiang; at the same time, much electric power can be drown into Xinjiang to solve the electric power shortages.

1.1.4 Considered the reasons mentioned above and the development of the whole region, a new economic region - Eastern Central Asia Economic Region (ECAER) will become true in the future.

2. General Design

2.1. That ECAER acts as an economic growth pole of a transnational regional development is just in the embryonic stage now, because on one hand, the economic stage in this region is still very low. On the other hand, the economic frame of the regional integrity hasn't formed. But from the point view of the future development, this region has a very high potential. First, all parts in ECAER belong to a region which is characterized by high density of resources like gold, copper, nickel and other minerals; which is rich in agricultural and animal products; which still needs effective and large-scale cultivation to promote regional productivity. Second, the similarity of economic growth stage indicates that the economy of this region is still in the first stage of industrialization and is characterized by the same structure. At last, the economic development and the enhancement of the regional economic strength are a long-term topic in this region.

2.2 According to the basic principles of productivity layout and the needs of opening to the outside world, both the opening and development of this region should adopt the mode as "Using exploitation promotes opening while using opening promotes the development of this region" to drive the overall development of the whole area through the mode of point-axle development. The fundamental thoughts are as follows:

• · Establish economic increasing triangle-small triangle in the Altai of China, the eastern Kazakhstan and the New Siberia, strengthen the economic basic construction and build corresponding development zone relations, preliminary opinion is that economic development zone should be founded in the Habahe county, Burqin county and Altai city first. On the basis of vitalizing frontier trade further, and it can be taken as the controlled area opening to the outside world and base in the north-western region of China to support the implementation of international development.
• · Rely on "small triangle", enlarge the scope of economic district gradually, establish the large triangle composed of Xinjiang (Urumqi), Kazakhstan and Russia (the New Siberia), and by the connection with Mongolia form the north-west Asia economic circle which takes the joined zone of the four countries as axle.
• · Found "golden triangle" development zone in the Altai, Habahe and Burqin. On the basis of taking tourism as the dominant industry, we should invite the economic factors such as capital and labor force, so as to promote the construction of development zone and change the state of the region.
• · Enforce the underprivileged infrastructure construction, especially frontier port, improve the port function. On the basis of opening of Jimnai port, Takshen port and Kunsanzui port, open Khnas port to Russia. The road construction of ports need strengthening and the road conditions ameliorating.
• · As the middle zone between the first Eurasia Continent Bridge and the second Eurasian Continent Bridge, condition permitted, construct the railway to connect the two large continental bridges. At present, we should open up the ports between China and Russia and build the port road as fast as possible to make the road from Burqin to Khnas Lake improved. At the same time, do utmost to enable Lanzhou-Xinjiang railway extend to Beitun and form traffic network in this region; If it is provided with necessary condition, we should construct a Beitun-Khnas railway to link the two continental bridges and form a new railway passageway from Kashgar to Afghanistan via Tadzhikistan through the southern Xinjiang Railway.

3. Method and Policy

3.1 Eastern Central Asian Economic Region is put forward as a new concept, which needs multi-lateral theoretical demonstration and pursing the developing way in practice. Therefore, it is essential to get the support of international society. As we think, although the region which locates in the middle area of Eurasia continent is in the economic process of low-development, it has economic potential superiority. Aim at the economic development, joint and proceed together, promote living condition, strengthen economic force, then we possibly facilitate the high level cooperation. Nevertheless, to approach this distinction, on the one hand, four countries should relate reciprocally, create unit cognition, take correspondent policies and actions. On the other hand, the international exploitation of the region need relative international issue to coordinate all the work. It is inaccessible to depend on the effort of certain country. Concentrate method includes: hold international symposium to study "North-West Asian Region Exploitation and Development Problems", which can draw attention to international society; attract outside investment, enlarge range and organize the exploiting item consultation upon the support of international society.

3.2 Strengthen further the fundamental conditions of transnational development, the emphasis should be put on the constructions of the basic port infrastructures and the port road. First is the comprehensive service infrastructure construction of the administrative departments, including combining check-up halls and the service buildings, etc. Second is the communication construction of the ports, including program-controlled telephone. Third is the construction of the border trading base to supply convenient conditions for unofficial trading. Fourth is to open up the way from Khnas port to Russia quickly and do the work of preconstruction of the Way to Russia. Fifth is to arrange all the administration of the ports well.

3.3 Thrive frontier by trade, develop great frontier trade and great economic trade, launch multi-pattern and multi-path trading fairs with surrounding countries. Enlarge managing range from barter, cash trade, frontier trade, tour trade to "Three come while one go", "Three go while one comes", technology cooperation, labor export and other forms to push the whole region economy to a new stage. Through trade activities to promote the combination of the economy of Xinjiang with the world. Meanwhile, regard tourism as an important industry of the region, using Khanas eco-tourism area in Altai of China and Burqin river, New Siberia of Russia and grassland of Mongolia to develop various kinds of tourism activities like high mountain skating, drifting, investigation and exploration to improve mutual understanding and friendship.

3.4. On the basis of the construction of Southern Xinjiang Railway, do the preceding research work of Urumqi-Kuitun-Beitun railway. At present, the partial Southern Xinjiang Railway - Urumqi-Korla has been completed, the rest part Korla-Kashgar has also undergone into design and will be finished at the end of the 9th-five-year-plan period. Therefore, the preceding work of the railway construction of Kuitun-Beitun-Khanas appears to be very important. If this program can't be done recently, the road between Burqin and Khanas should be re-built up as quickly as possible to reach a higher level to serve the development of tourism. Thus the connection of the Euro-Asia Continental Bridge in China wlll come true and it also join the Southern Xinjiang Railway, forming a new south-north transnational passage, its purposes are beyond descriptions. Moreover, the opening of this railway will strengthen the transportation value of the new Euro-Asia Continental Bridge and increase the transportation activity of the northwest railways of China.

3.5. Draw out relative policies and countermeasures to speed-up the realization of the economic integrity of Eastern Central Asia. Though the idea to set up Eastern Central Asia Economic Region is just appeared and it isn't therefore mature and still need discussing, the trend of economic integrity among this region is very clear even with the failure of the idea in theory. Thus correspondent policies should be made to improve the investment environment, including using the policies of the seaside regions and the economic special regions or more favorable policies than those mentioned above; meanwhile, a national policy which will give an important help to this region will be very useful not only for the richness of this region but also for the stable, prosperous and civilization of this region.

4. Conclusion

The Eastern Central Asia Region not only is a geographic concept but also has real meanings. With the development of the national economy and society, both the development and the opening of this region will become inevitable, the prospect will indicate this trend, the Eastern Central Asia Economic Region will eventually turn into one of the economic growth poles of the world in the middle of the next century.