The governments of China and Pakistan are discussing the construction of a rail and road link to transport oil from the Middle East to western China, the Wall Street Journal reported. Sohail Ahmad, director of Pakistan’s Board of Investment, also confirmed that Pakistan is in talks with Sinopec, China’s state oil company, about an investment into a major Pakistani coal reserve. Ahmad said that the two deals were part of a set of proposals to increase economic cooperation between the two countries. If constructed the road and rail link would run from Pakistan’s Gwadar Port to Xinjiang, China’s north-western province. Ahmad said that the plans were "at the very initial stage", but that Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari would return to Beijing in December to continue discussions.