The intention to build the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway dates back to 1997. At that time, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of understanding on constructing a railway project connecting the three countries. According to the plan, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project is planned to exit from Kashgar, Xinjiang, China, to the west through Karasu, Kyrgyzstan, to Andijan, Uzbekistan.

The total length of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is about 523 kilometers, of which 213 kilometers are in China, 260 kilometers in Kyrgyzstan, and 50 kilometers are in Uzbekistan. However, due to the concerns of Kyrgyzstan such as its complicated political environment, north-south national development strategy, conflicts with neighboring country Uzbekistan, financial problems, railway gauge problem, and Russian influence, the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway has been delayed for 27 years. So why the three countries didn’t give up in the face of such a divergence? Then let’s see it from two perspectives, economy and traffic network.

In terms of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway’s economic benefits, it will greatly promote the economic development of the three countries. For instance, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are both landlocked countries. At the same time, their traffic modes to China are limited to by road, and airplane. If the goods of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan want to reach China, they must be transited through Kazakhstan’s railways. It not only detours but also needs to pay transit fees. For landlocked countries, the railway transport volume is large and the cost is low. It also has good continuity, which is very essential to goods transport.

In brief, the three countries and neighboring countries can strengthen trade between countries and regions through the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, increase jobs, and obtain more income dividends to improve the well-being of their people.

In point of traffic network, the three countries will all ripen great profit after the completion of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. For Kyrgyzstan, where the railway is extremely underdeveloped and the goods are mainly transported by road, the completion of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, can not only optimize its domestic transportation infrastructure, improve railway capacity, but also rapidly promote the development of the country’s transportation industry.

For Uzbekistan, after the completion of the railway, Uzbekistan’s transportation network will be greatly expanded, and goods transported to China will not have to detour. In the meantime, Uzbekistan can take advantage of the railway to build a new integrated economic corridor, enhancing regional economic competitiveness.

As far as China is concerned, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will not only add a new international land corridor to Xinjiang but will also influence the transportation pattern in western China. It might help China build a traffic network centered on Kashgar, Xinjiang.

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will also invigorate the construction of the Belt and Road, playing a foundation role in channeling Asia and Europe. As an exciting progress of the building of the international railway network, the completion of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will improve the southern passage of the new Eurasian land bridge, and form a convenient transportation channel from East Asia and Southeast Asia to Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, and Southern Europe. It will broaden the transportation scope of the New Eurasian Land Bridge and improve its status in international transportation. The railway, a traditional means of transport, plays its unique role in trade and connection nowadays.

By Le Tianyu