On June 6, 2024, an intergovernmental agreement was signed in Beijing on the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project, part of the Belt and Road Initiative. On this occasion, a video link was also made between the presidents of the three states.
The route starts from Kashgar | 喀什市, a city and major transport hub located in Xinjiang, China and passes through Kyrgyzstan to enter the territory of Uzbekistan. From there, trains may in the future reach West Asia and South Asia.
The implementation of the project will benefit all participants and the entire Central and South Asian regions, said Kubanihbek Tabaldiev, political scientist and professor of international relations at Ala-Too International University in Bishkek.
The railway is also strategically important for Afghanistan, especially given its landlocked geographical location, said Jalal Bazwan, a lecturer at Kardan University in Kabul.
The extension of the railway to the border town and intermodal center of Hairatan in northern Afghanistan is envisaged. This route will attract new foreign investment.
The railway will shorten the time it takes to transport goods from Central Asia to major global markets, facilitate Central Asia’s integration into industrial and supply chains, and accelerate the economic development of Central Asian countries, said Yang Bo, a professor at the School of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Shanghai University of International Studies.
Also, goods from China will reach Central Asia faster and will have an alternative route to the existing routes that cross Russia.
This railway is the fulfillment of a dream to bring China closer to Central Asia and Europe. It will strengthen and expand the rail network between Asia and Europe, said Mark Cigoj, a Croatian political analyst.
This route is compatible and complementary to the Middle Corridor (Transcaucasian) promoted by the European Union and the USA.
Photo: Beijing Review