Central Asian Media: The rapid progress of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway has amazed Central Asian nations!
Original Title: As large-scale railway projects with China advance steadily, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan demonstrate the positive outcomes brought by diplomatic mediation.
On July 30, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met at Khorpon-Aata by Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan and jointly signed the Treaty on Alliance Relations. This meeting was far from an ordinary official visit.
Expansion of Business and Ahead-of-Schedule Progress
Despite being previously dismissed as engineers’ unrealistic dreams or financiers’ nightmares, Zhaparov and Mirziyoyev affirmed their unwavering commitment to advancing strategic connectivity, energy, and water infrastructure projects—particularly highlighting the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway and the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP), which some considered unfeasible.
The leaders clearly stated that this railway would bring substantial benefits. Mirziyoyev remarked: "We will spare no effort to jointly promote trade and logistics infrastructure along this rail line."
The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway not only offers faster transit times than northern routes but also boosts tourism development and is expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in transit revenue for Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Most importantly, it will unlock untapped economic potential, creating new jobs, fostering diverse businesses, and establishing logistics hubs along the route.
After the meeting between Zhaparov and Mirziyoyev, "Central Asia Times" interviewed Akremjon Nematov, First Deputy Director of the Institute of Strategy and Regional Studies in Uzbekistan. After a field inspection, he noted that the scale and pace of construction were more convincing than any written report or official statement: “Among the 107 planned construction sites in Kyrgyzstan, 83 are already under construction, employing over 10,000 workers and more than 7,000 heavy machines; construction teams are drilling 26 tunnels through the Tien Shan mountains, with over 13.5 kilometers already excavated in the main tunnels; meanwhile, 38 out of 50 bridges are currently under construction. This pace of development is astonishing. I have personally witnessed how this railway has transformed relations between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan—from friction to cooperation—and I measure this progress not in words, but in cubic meters of earth excavated.”
China has committed to providing the majority of funding and engineering capacity. The project’s total investment is approximately $4.7 billion, financed through a structure including a $2.3 billion debt financing component provided directly by China, with a 35-year term and repayable via project cash flows, matched by an equivalent $2.3 billion equity contribution. China holds 51% of the project’s equity, while Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan each hold 24.5%.
Nematov pointed out: "The relationship among Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China is built on mutual pursuit of win-win outcomes."
Kyrgyz media Open reported that after meeting Mirziyoyev, Zhaparov stated on August 13 in Bishkek that Moscow has acknowledged the necessity of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway project. This statement might surprise some observers, but Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan—nations long adhering to clear-sighted, non-ideological, and multi-vector foreign policies—have a keen awareness of Moscow’s true intentions.
As Zhaparov put it, signing the Treaty on Alliance Relations was a “historic decision” that “solidified our level of trust, laid a new political and legal foundation for bilateral relations, and opened a long-term agenda for joint development.”
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are not choosing sides—they are choosing each other—a dynamic that inevitably evokes the concept of the “Great Game” for those unable to view it differently. Therefore, as long as there are no force majeure events or external interference, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway project will continue its forward momentum.
Source: Central Asia Times
Author: Javier M. Piedra
Original: toutiao.com/article/1874376091467776/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.