OCR
XA szeme 52s friendly to the USSR, while very proud of the achievements of Red China. oe That the replacement of the Russian technicians in Mandchuria, at least so far, does not mean any rift between China and Russia is best shown by two things : the rising economic ex= changes between China and Russia ; the increasing means of transportation between both countries. . Especially the latter is of the greatest importance, Road building is under way on different points, The air communi= 7 cations between both countries have more then doubled in the past twenty months. New scheduled flights are planned for the near future, and exchange via Cargo planes will also be increased. In this connection it is interesting to note, that Red China is now fully equipped with Russian Cargo planes whose quality is as good as the American Cargo planes - if not better suited for the ‘special purpose. Near Charbin a plant is already in operations, for the special repair of the new Russian planes, and it is pros ducing parts. This same plant - we hear - is going to be develomed in the near future so as to build whole planes under Russian license, but fully Chinese-made, As far as could be learned only cargo= pimes will be built. At the same time while these means of transportatian are developed, rail lines are constructed which will tie in China more effectively with the Russian rail network, The full duplication of rails between Mukden - Charbin and Nikolsk-Ussurijski is being carried out at present, This would ease transportation bet= ween the new Transsiberian developments and the Chinese Mandchurian Railroad system. Further ties are under construction linking Central China with Russiae The most important of these projects is the newly planned rail link between Lanchow and Urumchi, the Capital of Sinkiang, and which is to link with the new line built between Urumchi and Alma-Ata in the USSR. From Aima~Ata again, the link would go to the two new secondary Transsiberian links. Another project now is still being surveyed and might be under con= struction soons it would link Pao-Tow-ehen on the Hoang-ho with Ulan-Bator via the Gobi desert anf wouid link from there with the new line under construction which will re-unite Ulan=Bator with Ulan-Ude in the USSR via Kjachta. From Ulan-Ude there is, South of Lake Baikal, a direct link to the main trunk line of the Transsiberian’ Especially the first part Pao-Tow-chen to Ulen—Bator will be, if carried out, a splendid engineering feat, which would greatly enhance the prestige of the technical knowledge of the Chinese. But the difficulties in that area should not be underestimated. Ad,