Okay, here is the map:
China-EastEurope by
ArgusPanoptes007, on Flickr
China to Europe is best via Russia (and please do read up on the new track changing rapid train transport corridors being built) and not via Gawadar, and it is the same distance from Lanzhou to Kashgar as it is from Kashgar to Gawadar (
because from Lanzhou to Africa, Europe and middle east is far compare to Gwadar to Africa, Europe and GGC. Why would the Chinese need to go over the Karakorums and through unstable Pakistan to reach a small market such as the Middle East when they can go through their own country?
Because it will be much cheaper to get shipment from Gwadar then from Lanzhou and it will reduce time from three to four weeks to two days via Train and a week via road. + Bypass India, Vietnam, Japan etc and secure shipment And what are they going to export from Kashgar? And by the way, once oil is on a supertanker, it is easier to just take it all the way to China than to offload in Gawadar and then pump it or transport it across the Karakorums.
read above
Gawadar is an important project for us, yes, but not for China, and certainly not for the outlandish claims we are making. No sir.