Chinese President Xi Jinping recently emphasized the construction of an international railway in Central Asia at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. The railway, connecting China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan over a distance of approximately 500 kilometers, is expected to open between 2030 and 2031 and is anticipated to reduce transportation distances. Initially, Russia was cautious due to issues such as track gauge standards, but with the SCO's mediation, its stance shifted to conditional support. This railway is expected to stabilize China's supply chains and serve as a 'land connectivity hub' for Central Asian countries. Particularly, with the recent instability in existing supply chains due to conflicts like the Iran war and the Ukraine war, the importance of alternative transportation routes has become increasingly prominent.
