Serbia's longest tunnel nears completion under Belt and Road Initiative
BELGRADE, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Serbia's longest tunnel, a key project under the Belt and Road Initiative and constructed by Chinese firms, is nearing completion, President Aleksandar Vucic announced Tuesday during a visit to the Iriski Venac construction site.
The twin-tube tunnel, part of the 44.41-km Fruska Gora Corridor linking Novi Sad and Ruma, will span approximately 3.5 km in each direction. Vucic confirmed that roughly 6,000 meters have been excavated, and the tunnel is expected to open to traffic in just over a year.
"I'm very happy to see the progress here. Soon, the longest tunnel in Serbia will be completed and open to traffic," he said.
The project is set to significantly shorten travel time, slashing the journey from Novi Sad to Loznica from three and a half hours to just 90 minutes. Vucic said the corridor will enhance safety, improve connectivity, and boost investment.
He also underscored its environmental benefits, noting that by diverting surface traffic, the tunnel will help preserve the biodiversity of Fruska Gora National Park.
Vucic was accompanied at the site by Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming, who hailed the project as a milestone in Serbia-China cooperation.
"This tunnel is a symbol of our strategic partnership and a tangible result of the Belt and Road Initiative," Li said. "It strengthens regional connectivity, supports economic growth, and enhances ties between Serbia and its neighbors."
Currently, 245 workers and more than 50 pieces of heavy machinery are operating on the site. The tunnel is part of the EUR 606 million Fruska Gora Corridor, built by China Road and Bridge Corporation. Construction began on May 1, 2021.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Seoul asks Temu, AliExpress to pull children's products over safety concerns
The Seoul city government said it inspected 35 children's products sold on Temu and AliExpress -- including umbrellas, raincoats and rain boots -- and found that 11 failed to meet South Korea's safety standards. - Supplied SEOUL: The Seoul city government has asked online retail giants Temu and AliExpress to suspend sales of certain children's products over safety concerns, saying Friday (June 27) that some goods far exceeded local limits for hazardous substances. Chinese e-commerce titans like Shein, Temu and AliExpress have seen a surge in global popularity in recent years, drawing in consumers with a wide range of trendy, ultra-low-cost fashion and accessories -- positioning them as major rivals to US giant Amazon. Their rapid rise has triggered growing scrutiny over business practices and product safety, including in South Korea. The Seoul city government said Friday it recently inspected 35 children's products sold on Temu and AliExpress -- including umbrellas, raincoats and rain boots -- and found that 11 failed to meet South Korea's safety standards or contained hazardous substances above local limits. In six of the umbrellas, phthalate-based plasticisers -- chemicals used to make plastics more flexible -- were found at levels far exceeding safety standards, the city said in a statement. Some of those products exceeded the domestic safety limit by up to 443.5 times for the chemical, while two items were found to contain lead at levels up to 27.7 times higher than the locally acceptable level. Based on the inspection results, the Seoul government said it "has requested that online platforms suspend sales of the non-compliant products". It also noted that "prolonged exposure to harmful substances can affect children's growth and health", and highlighted the need to carefully review product information before making purchases. Temu and AliExpress did not immediately reply to requests for comment from AFP. The Seoul government told AFP the retailers have no legal obligations to comply with their request. Phthalate-based plasticisers can cause endocrine disorders, while lead exposure above safety limits can impair reproductive functions and increase the risk of cancer, Seoul authorities said. Last year, the city government said women's accessories sold by Shein, AliExpress and Temu contained toxic substances sometimes hundreds of times above acceptable levels. The European Union last year added Shein to its list of digital firms that are big enough to come under stricter safety rules -- including measures to protect customers from unsafe products, especially those that could be harmful to minors. - AFP
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Taiwan to slap anti-dumping duties on Chinese beer, steel for 4 months
TAIPEI: Taiwan said Friday it will slap anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made beer and hot-rolled steel for four months from July 3, claiming "substantial damage" to its industry. The finance ministry said in a statement that it and the economic affairs ministry "have preliminarily determined that there is dumping (of these products) and it has caused substantial damage to domestic industry." The ministry said the duties will be imposed for four months to "prevent our industry from continuing to suffer damage during the investigation." The levies on Chinese-made beer will range from 13.13 percent to 64.14 per cent while for steel they will be either 16.9 percent or 20.15 percent, it added. In March, Taiwan launched anti-dumping probes into Chinese-made beer and some steel products following complaints of unfair competition. Tensions are already high between the two sides, with Beijing claiming the self-ruled island as part of its territory and threatening to use force to bring it under its control. Taiwan currently has anti-dumping duties on 10 products, including eight from China, which is its largest trade partner, official data show. China was the biggest source of beer imports to Taiwan last year, Bloomberg News reported, with shipments topping US$125 million last year. Taiwan was also looking at whether low prices of certain Chinese hot-rolled steel products resulting from "long-standing overcapacity" in manufacturing were harming domestic players, according to the ministry.
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Indonesia reaches major milestone with high-speed rail developed by China,
A cabin crew member greeting passengers at Halim Station in Jakarta, Indonesia, June 19, 2025. - Xinhua BEIJING: South-East Asia's first high-speed railway has surpassed 10 million passenger trips as of Wednesday (June 25), marking a major milestone in China-Indonesia infrastructure cooperation, according to China Railway International. Since launching operations in October last year, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway has run nearly 30,000 passenger train services, safely covering more than 4.63 million kilometres. The service has maintained stable operations and delivered a fast, efficient and comfortable travel option that has been widely embraced by both commuters and tourists, the company said. The rail line, a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative jointly developed by Chinese and Indonesian partners, links the capital city of Jakarta with the tourism hub of Bandung. With trains reaching speeds of up to 350km per hour, the line has cut travel time between the two cities from more than three hours to just 46 minutes. Passenger traffic has shown strong growth, especially during major holiday periods such as Christmas and Ramadan, the company said. Daily train services have increased from 14 to 62, boosting seating capacity from about 8,400 to more than 37,000. Peak daily ridership has reached 25,000 trips, with some trains recording occupancy rates of up to 99.6 percent. The high-speed rail has become a game changer for many Indonesians. Rahmanda, who runs a transportation consultancy in Jakarta, said the service has helped him reach clients on time. "The punctuality and reliability of the train ensure that I can meet clients without worrying about traffic delays," he said. To improve the passenger experience, the operator has expanded online ticketing options with flexible refund and rescheduling policies, while maintaining offline counters and offering multiple payment methods. Stations are equipped with fast-food outlets, convenience stores and beverage bars, and onboard amenities include cafes, snacks and facilities for passengers with disabilities. Operations are managed by the Sino-Indonesian Operation and Maintenance Consortium, which has applied China's advanced experience in scheduling, safety risk management and emergency preparedness. Special protocols have been adopted to ensure operations continue safely during earthquakes, heavy rain and landslides. A key focus of the project has been localising operations. More than 600 Indonesian trainees have completed qualification programmes, with 263 receiving certification from Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation. Among them, 34 train drivers can now operate trains independently under the guidance of Chinese experts. Another 20 emergency responders and 20 station control staff have also become fully operational. Agus Dewiono Widodo is one of Indonesia's first certified high-speed train drivers. "I am proud to be part of this historic achievement," he said, crediting the mentorship of his Chinese colleagues, including high-speed train driver Zhang Yue. The successful transfer of knowledge and skills has laid the groundwork for Indonesia to independently manage and operate the rail line in the future. China Railway International said the two countries' railway companies will continue optimizing services and expanding capacity to ensure the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway remains a reliable and high-quality transportation option. - China Daily/ANN
