KIEV, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Ukraine has secured a $950 millionloan from China to build a railway link between Kiev and thecapital's main airport and has hired a Chinese company for theproject, Chinese and Russian media said on Friday.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich signed the loanagreement on a visit to China that began on Thursday. It is thefirst trip to China by a Ukrainian leader.

During the visit "an agreement was ... signed securingChina's credit support to a 30-kilometre railway project andconstruction of auxiliary facilities for an airport in Ukraine'scapital, Kiev," the English-language website of China's People'sDaily said, quoting the China Daily newspaper.

"The railway project, contracted to a Chinese firm, willcost $950 million and construction will begin next year," itsaid, adding that the project would take three years tocomplete.

Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Ukranian official incharge of the project, Vladyslav Kaskiv, as saying that Ukrainewould be able to finance the full cost of the project using theloan.

There was no mention of the rail deal in the jointdeclaration signed between China and Ukraine, a copy of whichwas posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website(www.mfa.gov.cn).

Government officials in China could not be reached forcomment on the deal. (Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Additional reporting by BenBlanchard in Beijing)