2022 Year in Review

Beyond public sentiment and opinion, there are other hurdles in the way of
China’s railpolitik. The shallow fiscal strength of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan,
combined with the backward transport infrastructure system may delay the
realising the dream of a 15-day Eurasian transport corridor that bypasses Russia.
Not only does Kyrgyzstan still rely on Soviet-era narrow gauge railway, itself
incompatible with China’s international gauge, Kyrgyzstan is woefully short of
any rail infrastructure entirely. In a recent demonstration of the CKU’s proposed
route, the Kyrgyz portion of the rail relied on trucks.
Bishkek’s 280-kilometre section also faces engineering and logistical challenges.
Kyrgyz officials have admitted that their portion may prove costlier, given that
nearly 100 tunnels and weather-resistant infrastructure may be necessary to
traverse the country’s unforgiving mountainous and desert topography.
U z b e k , K y r g y z a n d C h i n e s e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n a n d d e v e l o p m e n t
a u t h o r i t i e s s i g n a m e m o r a n d u m o n m o v i n g t h e j o i n t r e g i o n a l
r a i l w a y p r o j e c t f o r w a r d , i n S a m a r k a n d , U z b e k i s t a n , S e p t . 1 4 , 2 0 2 2 .
P H O T O : V O A N E W S
P A G E 5 1