High-speed rail association between Central Asia, the riverine regions and the Seven Rivers region

In an era of great power competition, China's diplomatic scholars, diplomats, and diplomatic think tanks need the right maps to inspire foresight by providing a spatial perspective on key trends in world politics.

High-speed rail is a bright business card for rising China, and railway diplomacy is key to China breaking through America's strategic encirclement.

If there were a key that could open the door to any economy, it would definitely be railways. Since the invention and construction of railways between Manchester and Liverpool in the UK, railways have greatly promoted trade, thus playing an important political and military role. From the nineteenth century, the British built railways to transport minerals and goods from their colonies in Africa and India, and quickly dispatched military support to suppress uprisings.

Connecting with neighboring countries, the tide of steel flows forward, the Pan-Asian Railway, China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan, China-Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan-Central Asia-Guchun (Kazakhstan)-Baktur (China), China-Mongolia-Gashun Suhait (Mongolia)-Gantimur (China)...

The riverine regions refer to the basins of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers as well as the Zarafshan River, including the entire territory of present-day Uzbekistan and southwestern Kazakhstan. The riverine region was an important passage of the ancient overland main commercial route of Eurasia, the Silk Road; since the Persian Empire (559 BC - 336 BC) period, this area has been successively ruled by Greece, the Turks, the Tang Dynasty, the Arab Empire, the Samanid Dynasty, the Qarakhitai Dynasty, the Western Liao, Khwarezm, the Chagatai Khanate, the Timurid Empire, etc.

The riverine region is the ancient name of a region in Central Asia, roughly including modern Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, southern Kyrgyzstan, and southwestern Kazakhstan. Geographically, it is the area between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. Ancient Iranians called this region Turan (Turan), and the Romans called it "Transoxiana" (land beyond the Oxus). The Arabs called it "land beyond the rivers," a term that entered Persian literature and continued until the post-Mongol era.

In the 1860s, with the colonial expansion of the Western powers in Central Asia, the Russian Empire annexed the khanates of Khiva, Bukhara, and Kokand through war, establishing the "Turkestan Governor-Generalship" in the riverine region, which was called "Russian Turkestan" by the West.

After the February Revolution of 1917, the Russian Empire collapsed, and after the October Revolution on November 7, 1917, Soviet Russia was established. In 1918, the Turkestan Soviet Socialist Autonomous Republic was founded. In 1924, ethnic divisions were implemented, and the riverine region was included in the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Republic of Uzbekistan was established.

The Seven Rivers region refers to the areas where the seven rivers flowing into Lake Balkhash are located (Ili River, Karatal River, Aksu River of Kazakhstan, Lepse River, Ayagos River, and the now disappeared Basihan River and Sarhan River), including the areas south of Lake Balkhash, east of the riverine region of Central Asia, and the surrounding areas centered on Issyk-Kul Lake and Chu River, roughly encompassing today's Almaty Province and Jambyl Province of Kazakhstan and eastern Kyrgyzstan. Therefore, these regions are called the Seven Rivers region in Central Asia.

Due to the obstruction of the Tianshan Mountains, moisture condenses and precipitates here, making this region one of the few lush and habitable places in Central Asia. Major lakes include Zaysan Lake, Ala Lake, Issyk-Kul Lake, and Balkhash Lake, and rivers include the Syr Darya, Amu Darya, Ili River, and Chu River. This region is also the most densely populated and economically active area in Central Asia. The capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, and the former capital of Kazakhstan, Almaty, are located in this region.

The riverine and Seven Rivers regions are economically developed and densely populated, with almost all cities of over a million people concentrated here: the old capital of Kazakhstan, Almaty, the municipality of Chimkent, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, and the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat.

The economies of the 'Stan states' eager for development are growing rapidly, and the process of integration through connectivity has accelerated. It's time for China's railway builders to propose a high-speed rail map for the riverine and Seven Rivers regions!

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833054303748108/

Disclaimer: The article represents the personal views of the author