Nikola Mikovic

Opinion | How do Central Asian countries see China’s Belt and Road Initiative?

As Central Asian nations diversify away from Russia, it’s not a given that China or the EU will become dominant powers in the region

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Heads of State Council summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September16, 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE

Nikola Mikovic

Published: 8:30pm, 5 Nov 2024

As major global powers intensify their focus on Central Asia, China seeks to strengthen its position in the strategically important region. Energy and logistics seem to be leading drivers of Beijing’s policy in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. But how do Central Asian states see the growing Chinese presence in their region?

The five Central Asian states have played a crucial role in the China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the project seems to have become even more important to Beijing, as it seeks alternative transport and logistics routes that bypass Russia.

That is why Chinese strategic planners are pushing for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway. Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov has been quoted as saying that construction will begin this month and will be completed within four to five years.

To implement the US$8 billion project, Beijing, Bishkek and Tashkent have agreed to create a joint company, with China owning 51 per cent and a 24.5 per cent share each going to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Japarov reportedly said the railway will transform the landlocked former Soviet republic from a “dead-end country” into a transit state. He has stressed the potential benefits of the railway, such as access to the ocean via a shorter route and increased trade with Europe and the Middle East.

Neighbouring Uzbekistan also wants to become a key logistics hub between Asia and Europe. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will pave the way for that goal. Uzbek transport minister Ilkhom Makhkamov has noted that, because Central Asian nations do not have direct access to sea transport, they are cut off from the most economically lucrative transport routes. Countries in the region are thus focused on the development of transport infrastructure.