Chinese Company Invests in Malaysian Rail to Boost Maritime Silk Road

Workers assemble a metre gauge train at the CRRC's manufacturing center in Batu Gajah, Malaysia, on August 27, 2015. [Photo: CRI Online]

The 12th China-ASEAN Expo concludes on Monday in Nanning city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. This year all the featured cities at the expo are situated along the 21st century Maritime Silk Road.

18-year-old Adawiah has to take the inter-city train every week between her home and school.

"The new train is more comfortable and much faster than the older one. The women-only compartments also make me feel safer."

The train Adawiah takes comes from the first order that China's railway manufacturer CRRC Corporation Limited's gets from Malaysia. After five years of participation in the Malaysian market, CRRC now shares 80 percent of the market and its ASEAN manufacturing center in Batu Gajah also went into operation months ago.

Wang Luke, general manager of a branch company of CRRC explains why CRRC can become the main driving force of Malaysia's railway transportation equipment.

"Because our first order is successful. After the 38 trains put into operation in 2010, all of them have been running well. Besides, we also provide maintenance service for them. So our clients are satisfied with us and thus trust us. After that we received orders of light rail and trunk rail in succession."

CRRC also provides 90 percent of its positions at the manufacturing center in Batu Gajah with the locals and shares the most advanced technologies with them.

As CRRC's module of integrating products, service, investment and technology grows mature in Malaysia, it has also attracted many clients from surrounding countries.

Malaysian transport minister Liow Tiong Lai highlights China's initiative of the 21st century Maritime Silk Road, saying it is a good opportunity to improve Malaysia's transport network.

"As the transport minister, my job is to ensure the construction of railway and harbors, which are the most important part of Malaysia's infrastructure construction. Malaysia fully supports China's 'One Belt One Road' initiative because this initiative goes in line with Malaysia's current economic adjustment and reform and it will benefit both China and Malaysia."

Chinese counselor to Malaysia Wu Zhengping says since countries included in the "One Belt One Road" initiative have great demand in railway construction, the Malaysian side hopes to hop on the express train of the Chinese economy through the initiative.

"They believe the Chinese market and China's economy will bring good chance for them to develop Malaysian economy. So they are very willing to cooperate with China."

China and ASEAN countries have already initiated a series of cooperation programs.

They have also decided to sign a framework agreement on China-ASEAN city-to-city cooperation.