Silk Route to China will benefit Andhra Pradesh, says Chandrababu Naidu

Vijayawada: AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday proposed establishment of a “Silk Route” from Visakhapatnam to China. Mr Naidu received a six-member delegation led by Chinese vice-minister Chen Fengxiang in Vijayawada on Monday.

During a meeting that followed, Mr Naidu said that a new Silk Route is the need of the hour, especially for the state when compared to cities like Chennai and Calcutta.

“Andhra Pradesh is centrally located to the East Coast,” he said, adding that the state is the most attractive place for Chinese investors.

He asked the Chinese delegation to make Amaravati a second home, after Shanghai city. The Chief Minister reiterated that it was a rare opportunity for AP and China to become partners and invest in Amaravati, the new capital. He said that Amaravati would be a green capital and among the top five cities in the world.

The 40-km stretch of the River Krishna would be most useful for water transportation and tourism, Mr Naidu said, asking Chinese companies to help complete the construction at the earliest. CM said that China’s name would be etched permanently in India, if the companies join hands in capital construction.

Mr Fengxiang reacted positively and said China’s first priority is AP and capital construction is the biggest project. He said building the capital was a huge opportunity, hoping that this would strengthen the relationship between China and India.

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