Archives China and Central Asia - New Eastern Outlook

On June 6, 2024, in Beijing, the governments of Uzbekistan, China and Kyrgyzstan signed a cooperation agreement on the joint promotion of the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China railway project. The document establishes mechanisms for financing construction, project implementation, as well as a number of other issues, including those on which the three previously did not share a common, fixed position. What will this railway give Eurasia, for whom will it become a challenge and for whom an opportunity?

The first phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has been completed and the project has entered into its second phase. This phase provides great opportunities for Pakistan, China, Africa, the Gulf States, and the Central Asian countries to increase their mutual trade and connect with the rest of the world in a much more secure and efficient way, decreasing their trade cost and increasing security.

Last year saw a number of significant developments in China-Kazakhstan relations, including two official visits to China by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, multi-billion dollar contracts, the promotion of transport and infrastructure initiatives, and an unprecedented 30 per cent growth in bilateral trade. Kazakhstan accounts for half of China’s trade and investment in the region, with trade turnover between Kazakhstan and China reaching an impressive $31 billion. By 2023, the volume of cargo between the two countries will have increased by 22 per cent to nearly 30 million tonnes…