Four-nation land-sea service to start in NE Asia in May

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-18 20:55

CHANGCHUN - A land-sea transportation service linking China, Russia, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan will be officially launched in May, a local Chinese official said Wednesday.

Trial operation of the cargo and passenger service will start March 30, said Chu Tiecheng, deputy director of the Huichun Municipal Navigation Affairs Bureau. He said an earlier trial, in October, was a success.

Further trials will be conducted sometime in April, he said.

The service will run 800 nautical miles from Huichun, an inland city in northeast China's Jilin Province, to Niigata port in Japan via the Russian port of Zarubino and the ROK port of Sokcho.

The vessel will make one round trip a week. It will be able to carry 240 20-foot equivalent units and 1,000 passengers.

The trip in each direction will take about 36 hours, about one-eighth of the current travel time. The quicker trips will be cheaper and provide a boost to the regional economy and tourism, Chu said.

An ROK-based joint venture, with a registered capital of US$3 million, will operate the service. The ROK will have a 51 percent stake, with China, Japan and Russia holding 16 percent, 16 percent and 17 percent, respectively.