Emil Avdaliani
The official ceremony to mark the start of construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway was held on December 27. The event featured high-level officials from Beijing and Central Asian states and followed the signing of an investment agreement a week earlier.
The line, which is designed to carry 10-12 million tons of cargo a year, will stretch approximately 486km (302 miles), linking Kashgar in Western China to Andijan in Uzbekistan and passing through the mountains of Kyrgyzstan.
It will provide both countries with a direct link to China, bypassing their current reliance on routes through Kazakhstan, while also offering an opportunity to boost trade with Europe and the Middle East.
Beijing sees the railway as a way of bolstering exports to Europe and speeding up imports of Central Asian raw materials and agricultural goods.
Central Asian states will also have greater access to global markets as the railway will connect them with the Caspian Sea and the European Union via Georgia’s Black Sea shore, where China is building a deep seaport at Anaklia.
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