Despite India's reservations, China launches study to build rail link to Pakistan via PoK

“We will consider opening (land) ports to Afghanistan and India once social stability can be ensured. After all openness is the foundation of boosting trade,” Zhang said.  

Though the rail project was in the air for some time, the announcement came as China and India are set to mark 60 year celebrations of Panchsheel, the five principles of peaceful coexistence here today.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, who is on a five-day visit to China, will take part in the two celebrations being held here in which Chinese President Xi Jinping and Myanmar President U Thein Sein would also participate.

Chinese officials say the new rail link which runs through the Pamir Plateau and Karakorum mountains will be one of the hardest to build but forms a vital part in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as well as China's plans for the revival of the ancient Silk Road trade route.

Pakistan has already handed over the control of the Gwadar port, which provided an opening for the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf to Beijing for the first time besides a direct view of India's west coast including Gujarat and Maharashtra.  

China is now running the port just opposite the Gulf of Oman, an important route for oil tankers.

China plans to build a pipeline network to download the oil from ships and pump it across to Xinjiang through the proposed pipeline network.