By Jia Pingfan, People’s Daily
On April 29, 2025, construction officially commenced on three critical tunnels, Fergana Mountain, Naryn No.1, and Koshtet, along the Kyrgyz section of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) Railway, marking a major milestone as the project advances into its mainline construction phase.
Starting from Kashgar in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the CKU Railway passes through the mountainous terrain of Kyrgyzstan to reach Uzbekistan. Once completed, the railway will serve as an important transportation corridor connecting the Asia-Pacific with Europe, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and fostering economic and social development along the route.
The CKU Railway stands as a compelling exmaple of pragmatic cooperation between China and Central Asia, and represents a new milestone in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. From infrastructure and industrial capacity to clean energy and logistics, cooperation between China and Central Asian countries is delivering tangible outcomes across a wide range of areas.
In Kazakhstan, major projects like the China-Kazakhstan natural gas pipeline and the Shymkent Oil Refinery are running smoothly. In Uzbekistan, the Syr Darya 1,500 MW gas-vapor cycle power generation project has been put into production, while the Olympic City project proceeds steadily. In Kyrgyzstan, projects such as the renovation of Bishkek’s municipal road network and a renovated irrigation system are improving local livelihoods. In Tajikistan, the parliament and government buildings aided by China have become new landmarks. These concrete, substantial outcomes are contributing to the sustainable development of Central Asian economies.
China’s trade and investment cooperation with Central Asia has also continued to gain momentum. In 2024, trade between China and the five Central Asian countries reached $94.8 billion, a year-on-year increase of six percent. The figure is expected to exceed $100 billion this year.
According to Yang Jin, deputy head of the Central Asia and Caucasus studies office at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China-Central Asia relations have made substantial strides in recent years.
Guided by head-of-state diplomacy, the two sides have been deepening political trust. China has established comprehensive strategic partnerships and implemented the vision of building a community with a shared future on a bilateral level with all the five Central Asian countries.
Practical cooperation has been elevated, evidenced by the rapid growth in trade and investment. China and the Central Asian countries are also strengthening coordination in multilateral settings, particularly in efforts to maintain regional peace and stability.
Besides, institutional innovation is gaining prominence. Mechanisms such as the China-Central Asia Summit mechanism, the establishment of the secretariat of the China-Central Asian cooperation mechanism, and a China-Central Asia emergency management cooperation mechanism are enhancing dialogue and coordination.
“Central Asia is rich in natural resources, but its landlocked geography poses challenges to global market access. Meanwhile, China’s rapidly expanding domestic market is highly complementary with the region,” said Xu Tao, deputy head of the Eurasian Social Development Research Institute under the Development Research Center of China’s State Council.
“Our mutually beneficial cooperation is delivering tangible benefits to the peoples of both sides,” Xu added.
On March 19, a freight train bound for Tashkent, Uzbekistan, departed from Beijing’s Fangshan district, loaded with 90 standard containers of auto parts, medicines and other goods from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. This marked the official launch of the first Beijing-Central Asia freight train service, creating a new, efficient land corridor for exporting high-value-added, high-tech products.
China and Central Asian countries share common aspirations for economic growth and improving people’s livelihoods. Their cooperation continues to expand in traditional sectors such as trade, finance, infrastructure, and connectivity, while increasingly expanding into emerging areas like the digital economy and e-commerce.
For landlocked Central Asian countries, working with China on water resource management, desertification prevention and control, green transition, and digital development contributes significantly to regional sustainability.
In November 2022, the Luban Workshop, co-founded by China’s Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College and Tajik Technical University, was officially put into operation, the first of its kind in Central Asia. Since then, additional Luban workshops have been established in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, with another under development in Turkmenistan.
These platforms facilitate technical exchanges and mutual learning, promoting talent development and strengthening people-to-people ties between China and Central Asian countries.
From Luban workshops and cultural centers to joint film productions, book translations, and archaeological collaborations, China-Central Asia cultural cooperation is flourishing. Exchanges in education, culture, tourism, and local governance continue to thrive, further reinforcing the foundation of good-neighborly friendship.
“Over the years, China and Central Asian countries have upheld the principles of mutual respect, good neighborliness, solidarity, and win-win cooperation,” said Yang Jin.
“By practicing true multilateralism and a common approach to security, they have set a model for a new type of international relations,” Yang added.
With deepening cooperation across political, economic, security, diplomatic, and cultural sectors, Yang believes the foundation for building a China-Central Asia community with a shared future is becoming ever more solid.
