From S.R.
Neither Kyrgyzstan nor Uzbekistan can be even remotely called the Middle East. But an agreement signed by China with the two Central Asian states goes a long way toward fulfilling Beijing's dream of a rail link to the Gulf and the rest of the Middle East.
He said. She said.
"China is ready to work with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to...build this strategic corridor at an early date..."
President Xi expresses China's desire to launch the latest railway agreement.
Focus
A railway is born: China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan sign an agreement on June 6.
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China has signed an agreement with two neighbors that will finally give what Beijing has long wanted -- a railway hub that can bring products to anywhere from Europe to the Gulf.
The agreement signed on June 3 with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan has long been in the offing. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing has sought partners for a railway that will be secure for Chinese trade from Central Asia to Africa and Europe.
"The implementation of the project will bring enormous benefits to all project participants and all of Central and South Asia, since a new transit route will be open from East to West," Kubanychbek Taabaldiev, a prominent Kyrgyz analyst, said. "The transit of goods from China to the south and further to the west will be carried out via a shorter route."
The rail line begins in China's Kashgar, part of the Uyghur region. Then the tracks cross the Kyrgiz border and moves toward Uzbekistan. This will mark the shortest land route between China and the Central Asian countries. Railway is said to cost 25 percent that of air transport.
From Kyrgyzstan, Beijing hopes to turn south toward the Middle East and the Gulf. The simple route would run through Turkmenistan and then south to Iran. Iran would mark the gateway to Iraq and Syria or south to the Gulf Arab states.
"China is ready to work with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan," Chinese President Xi Jinping said, "to prepare for the launch of the project and build this strategic corridor at an early date to benefit the three countries and their peoples and boost the economic and social development of the region."
Here are some numbers: The planned railroad, estimated to cost $8 billion, would run 523 kilometers, 213 on Chinese territory. The line would have a length of 260 kilometers in Kyrgyzstan, including more than 50 tunnels and 90 bridges. In Uzbekistan, the railway would run for 50 kilometers.
To achieve the latest accord, China eased its position that it must control the railway through the Central Asian states. Officials said Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan would build and operate the line within their countries. They said the two partners of Beijing would also be given free access to use the railway for their own exports.
China already operates a railway to the West, which runs 900 kilometers longer and takes another week of transport compared to the latest project. The current freight line, launched in 2016, begins in the Uyghur region and crosses the border into Kazakhstan. In 2023, the railway, which takes off from the Horgos port, handled 7,762 trains, a nearly 10 percent increase from the previous year. Much of the Chinese exports have consisted of electric vehicles.
From Kazakhstan, the railway moves through Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Central Europe. The route from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan includes a ferry over the Caspian Sea.
The railway to Europe contains two other routes. The eastern route moves along the coast through Mongolia and Russia. From there, it reaches Belarus and Poland. The central route, which traverses China’s southern coastal provinces, also enters Mongolia and Russia. Until the war in 2022, the Chinese railway also used Ukraine as a route to the West.
"As a local, I have witnessed the rapid development of the China-Europe freight trains in Horgos firsthand," Yang Jiayi, a nine-year veteran at Horgos, said. "Over the years, I have seen the establishment of the station and its expansion."
Ticker Tape
...China is pushing Turkey for a comprehensive agreement that would focus on counter-insurgency. The Chinese leadership urged visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan that Beijing required a solid partnership with Ankara on such issues as joint investigation and prosecution of suspected insurgents as well as the extradition of those wanted by China who now live in Turkey. Chen Wenqing, a Politburo member of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, raised the issue of Uyghur separatists active in Turkey. In a June 3 meeting, Chen linked counter-insurgency cooperation with Turkey's requests for massive Chinese investment. So far, Ankara has refused to extradite Uyghur fugitives to China although the Turks have cracked down on protest activities.
...Beijing has recruited a Gulf Arab state to push for formal approval of the free trade agreement with China. Bahrain said it would help in accelerating the long-stalled talks for the GCC-China Free Trade Agreement. The negotiations between the six GCC states and Beijing have taken nearly 20 years. The pledge by Bahraini King Hamad Bin Issa Al Khalifa, close to the ruling Saudi family, came during a summit in Beijing between Arab leaders and President Xi Jinping.
...China has cited increasing Middle East influence in BRICS. At the latest meeting of the coalition, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterparts of the increasing input by observers such as Bahrain and Turkey. Under the framework titled BRICS+, Wang told representatives from developing countries that Bahrain and Turkey represent 12 major developing countries with regional influence. Over the last year, Iran and Saudi Arabia have been invited to become members of BRICS, now chaired by Russia. Wang told the conference on June 13 that China welcomes additional participation in BRICS.
...Here's some good news from Pakistan. Beijing has been operating a major highway known as M5, meant to bolster the land route with China. The Sukkur-Multan Motorway is a $3 billion, 392-kilometer six-lane highway that runs north-south through central Pakistan, a project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Chinese officials have been frustrated by the slow pace of CPEC amid poor infrastructure, red tape and threats to Chinese laborers.
...The Chinese have developed “magic seeds” for the Middle East. Beijing has produced grass seedlings for growth in the Arab country of Mauritania. The seeds, planted in China's Ningxia Hui, turned into grass that reached nearly two meters high in 50 days. Three months later, the grass, called Juncao, doubled in height. Officials said the grass will serve as animal fodder in this desert African state. Officials said Beijing also plans to build a facility to process camel meat, beef, mutton and marine products for export to China.