Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right). Photo: Associated Press/Dazhi Image (file photo)
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine was not going well, and when it was caught in the quagmire of war, it tried to win over China for assistance, and even made concessions to China. The “China-Kyrgyz-Uzbekistan” railway, considered the shortest route from China to transport goods to Europe and the Middle East, has been planned for more than 25 years, and it has been recently rumored that it is expected to start construction next year after Russia no longer opposes it. For the construction of the railway, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has blocked for more than 20 years, the outside world believes that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “finally brings a benefit to China”.
According to the Observer.com report on the 1st, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov mentioned in an interview with the Kyrgyz state news agency Kabar on May 30 that he explained to Putin that Kyrgyzstan needs a “China-Gyrgyzstan-Ukraine railway”. “Like after the need for “air and water”, Putin said that he was no longer against it and could build if needed.
Japalov stressed that Kyrgyzstan has been trying to build the “China-Kyrgyzstan-Ukraine Railway” for 25 years, but it has not started at all. Because so far, no one has been able to explain to the Russian side the importance of this railway for Kyrgyzstan. Construction of the railway will start in 2023 after the completion of a feasibility study. When completed, Kyrgyzstan will become a transit country, bringing jobs, money, economic prosperity, and freeing itself from worries about not being able to repay its foreign debt.
The report pointed out that the “China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway” is about 523 kilometers long. After the railway is completed, it will be the shortest route for transporting goods from China to Europe and the Middle East, and the freight journey will be shortened by 900 kilometers and the time will be saved by 7 to 8 days. Earlier comments pointed out that Russia is afraid that this railway will increase China’s influence, make Central Asian countries more dependent on the Chinese market, and have a negative impact on Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union dominated by Russia, and oppose the construction.
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine was not going well, and when it was caught in the quagmire of war, it tried to win over China for assistance, and even made concessions to China. The “China-Kyrgyz-Uzbekistan” railway, considered the shortest route from China to transport goods to Europe and the Middle East, has been planned for more than 25 years, and it has been recently rumored that it is expected to start construction next year after Russia no longer opposes it. For the construction of the railway, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has blocked for more than 20 years, the outside world believes that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “finally brings a benefit to China”.
The “China-Kyrgyz-Uzbekistan” railway, considered the shortest route from China to transport goods to Europe and the Middle East, has been planned for more than 25 years, and it has been recently rumored that it is expected to start construction next year after Russia no longer opposes it. For the construction of the railway, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has blocked for more than 20 years, the outside world believes that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “finally brings a benefit to China”. According to the Observer.com report on the 1st, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov mentioned in an interview with the Kyrgyz state news agency Kabar on May 30 that he explained to Putin that Kyrgyzstan needs a “China-Gyrgyzstan-Ukraine railway”. “Like after the need for “air and water”, Putin said that he was no longer against it and could build if needed.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.Photo: Flip through Sadyr Japarov’s Facebook