During the planning stage of the Trans-Caspian transport route China had two options for railway construction in Central Asia: paving it through Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Eventually, China chose to cooperate with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. In an interview with Kazakhstani media outlet AIRAN on February 13, Yerzhan Artykbekov, former chairman of the board of "KazTransInvest," shed light on China's perspective.
Background: China's Search for Alternative Routes
AIRAN's journalist, Dosym Satpaev, talked about China's readiness to cooperate while expressing reservations about the Trans-Caspian transport route's suboptimal cargo delivery times and high prices.
"China is ready to cooperate, but so far the Trans-Caspian transport route is inferior to others in terms of cargo delivery times and high prices. Therefore, the Celestial Empire, which our authorities consider as an important partner in the transport and logistics sector, decided to look for other transport alternatives to Kazakhstan."
One notable example is the cooperation agreement signed during the 2022 SCO summit in Samarkand for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. This project aims to facilitate the transportation of goods from China to Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and onward to Turkey, Azerbaijan, the European Union, and the Persian Gulf countries.
Challenges Faced by Kazakhstan
Yerzhan Artykbekov elaborated on China's realization that Kazakhstan faces challenges in resolving transit issues.
"China realized that Kazakhstan cannot resolve the transit issue. And when they read the government decree on the development of Kazakhstan’s railways until 2030, they realized that Chinese demands were not there in the same volume as stated. So, they needed to look for alternative ways."
Artykbekov highlighted China's decision to halt the aforementioned railway project due to concerns about Kazakhstan's capacity to handle the cargo volume. The proposed route spans approximately 450-480km, featuring 18 stations, 80 bridge structures, and 40 tunnels. Artykbekov emphasized the logistical complexities of traversing mountainous terrain, stressing the need for Kazakhstan to modernize its infrastructure to remain competitive.
Kazakhstan's Development Goals and Challenges
Discussing Kazakhstan's development plans until 2030, Artykbekov expressed concerns:
"Kazakhstan's 2030 development plan is there in order to catch up with the current time, and today we are already 50 years behind. Because Kazakhstan is slow and cannot make quick decisions."
He cited a quote from his Chinese partners, highlighting the tendency of Kazakhstani partners tending to prolong development projects indefinitely.
Artykbekov underscored the urgency for Kazakhstan to bridge the gap and modernize its infrastructure to meet contemporary demands. Failure to do so may result in missed opportunities and hinder Kazakhstan's competitiveness in the global transportation sector.
Earlier, it was reported that the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, previously reported to be frozen, is now set to commence in 2024. This announcement was made by Zhalyn Jeenaliyev, the Deputy Director of the Kyrgyz National Investment Agency. The news was further confirmed by the government of Kyrgyzstan and the company "Kyrgyz Temir Zholu".
Later, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, in an interview with the Kabar News Agency, discussed the payback period of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. He said the project will pay for itself in 35-40 years.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Twitter pages to keep current on world news.
Comments (0)