The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway is an international railway connecting China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, starting from Kashgar, Xinjiang, China, passing through Karasu in Kyrgyzstan, reaching Andijan in Uzbekistan, and then entering Eastern and Southern Europe.

The total length of the railway is about 523 kilometers, of which about 213 kilometers are in China, about 260 kilometers in Kyrgyzstan, and about 50 kilometers in Uzbekistan.

As early as 25 years ago, China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan had already begun to discuss the construction of the China-Uzbekistan-Ukraine Railway, and signed a memorandum of cooperation in 1997, but it was shelved due to geopolitical and other factors.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Holds Talks with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Kurubayev in Choppon-Ata

This year coincides with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five Central Asian countries. Taking this as an opportunity to restart the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is of great significance to promoting high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road and jointly building a China-Central Asia community of shared future.

Inject new vitality into the two countries

Both Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are landlocked countries, with agriculture and energy as their pillar industries. However, inconvenient transportation leads to high transportation and trade costs, which restricts the country's economic development. According to the statistics of the World Bank, the quality of trade and transportation-related infrastructure between Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine is ranked 99th and 108th in the world respectively, which is lower than the world average and has great room for improvement.

The construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Ukraine Railway will help the two countries expand the export of agricultural products and mineral products, and will also facilitate the attraction of investment from other countries and leverage the export of resources. At present, China is the largest trading partner and largest source of investment between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and the cooperation prospects are broad. At the same time, after the completion of railway construction, the two countries can also obtain benefits from transit fees through operation and maintenance work, create new employment opportunities and drive the development of the country's railway equipment industry.

Therefore, strengthening the construction of transportation infrastructure will play a role in promoting the economic development of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Promote international market integration

Central Asia has historically been an important channel for exchanges between the East and the West, and has a unique position in the Belt and Road Initiative. As an important part of the southern line of the China Railway Express, after the completion of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Ukraine Railway, it will extend the railway from Central Asia to West Asia and Southern Europe, and improve the level of connectivity between Central Asian countries and Europe. By enhancing the transportation and transit logistics potential of the Central Asian region, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Ukraine Railway will facilitate trade and economic exchanges in Eurasia.

At the same time, the economies of Central Asian countries depend on the endowment of natural resources such as energy, raw materials, and agricultural products. However, due to the lack of capital, technology and transportation infrastructure, the resources cannot be fully utilized. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Ukraine Railway can strengthen personnel exchanges and the flow of goods among Central Asian countries, connect regions at different stages of development, and promote balanced economic development.

One Belt One Road Sustainable Development

At present, China-Europe trains need to pass through Russia on their way to Europe. Since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Russia has been subject to a series of international sanctions, which has blocked the transportation channels in the Eurasian continent, and the operation of China-Europe trains has also been adversely affected. Once the China-Kyrgyzstan-Ukraine Railway is completed, it will directly reach West Asia and Europe, which is conducive to sustainable railway trade between Europe and Asia.

In addition, at present, about 88% of the freight volume of the China-Europe freight train transits through Kazakhstan. As one of the diversified route options, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Ukraine Railway will help ensure the smooth flow of major land passages between Asia and Europe, and promote high-quality transportation. Build the Belt and Road.

Promote Xinjiang's opening to the outside world

The starting point of the China-Kashgar-Ukraine Railway is Kashgar, Xinjiang. As the second international railway line besides the China-Pakistan Railway, the railway can strengthen the trade between Kashgar, Xinjiang and Central Asia and West Asia, and has the potential to become a link between Central Asia and West Asia in the future. and European trade hub.

At the same time, transportation is the basis for promoting the development of the western region in the new era. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Ukraine Railway connects western China with Central Asia, West Asia and Europe, which will effectively support the construction of a new pattern of opening up in the western region.Editor/Ma Xue