"This is Jack Ma’s second visit to Tuva. Now his visit is official," Oksana Belokon said, adding that Ma is interested in railway construction investment in the region.
In May, Tuva Energy Industrial Corporation and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation on construction of a railway and a port in Tuva.
"We shall not say that Jack Ma will finance the project. Memorandum is not an agreement. But he is interested in the project and in Tuva as a whole, as it is expected to be linked to China," Belokon said.
According to the senator, China is especially interested in the railway as the region is rich in natural resources.
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