In the revival of the Silk Road: large joint projects in transport infrastructure

The Silk Road is one of the largest symbolic manifestations of economic and cultural integration in the history of human civilization, providing connections between East and West for almost two thousand years. Along the Silk Road, not only commercial goods - silk, wood, precious stones, paper and handicrafts - spread, but also ideas, technologies, scientific achievements and cultural traditions. Therefore, the Silk Road has a special significance in the development of mankind as a “bridge of civilizations.”

In the 21st century, as the processes of global economic integration deepen, the idea of reviving the Silk Road has again entered the agenda as a strategic direction of international politics and economics.

In the world economy, global supply chains and logistics efficiency have become one of the key factors determining the competitiveness of countries. From this perspective, developing transport infrastructure on the Eurasian continent is critical not only for economic benefits, but also for geopolitical stability and regional cooperation.

According to World Bank reports, every US dollar invested in sustainable infrastructure generates an average of $4 in GDP growth. This clearly demonstrates the importance of transport projects as a driver of economic growth. Therefore, attention is paid to the need to form an inclusive transport system in the East-West and North-South directions, which will serve to effectively develop the economic potential of the SCO countries.

To sell domestic products at competitive world prices, Uzbekistan needs to develop additional export trade routes to countries such as China, countries of the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, India and Pakistan. This requires competitive, efficient transport and transit. The People's Republic of China is the main initiator of the idea of reviving the Silk Road in the 21st century.

The Belt and Road Initiative, announced in 2013, is a large-scale integration program covering not only transport infrastructure, but also energy, the digital economy, industrial clusters and cultural exchange.

Based on this program, great opportunities are being created for the countries of Central Asia, including Uzbekistan. Currently, Uzbekistan, as part of this initiative, is taking a number of steps to modernize railways and roads, build logistics centers and increase transit potential.

In particular, in 2016, Uzbekistan managed to build the Kamchik tunnel with a length of 19.2 km in the mountainous part of the east of the country. In June of the same year, the leaders of Uzbekistan and China held an opening ceremony for the electrified Angren-Pap railway and the Kamchik tunnel. President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on July 4, 2024, at the regular meeting of the Council of Heads of SCO member states in Astana, “Multiple options of transport corridors are the most important condition for the sustainable development of our entire region,” he emphasized.

Currently, one of the main priorities is to consistently increase the volume of multimodal cargo transportation on the routes China - Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan and Uzbekistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan. In particular, the strategic railway project "China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan," the construction of which is proceeding at a rapid pace, has been assessed as one of the largest infrastructure initiatives in the history of the region and called "the construction of the century." The construction of this railway, in essence, means the revival of the “Great Silk Road” in a new form.

In April 2025, construction of this railway officially began in the Kyrgyz city of Jalal-Abad. Thanks to effective cooperation between railway organizations and workers in China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, construction work on a number of sites began ahead of schedule, indicating that the project has entered an active construction phase.

The project plans to build 20 stations, 42 bridges and 25 tunnels along the Kashgar - Torugart - Makmal - Jalal - Abad route - Andijan." The total length of the railway is 532.53 km and is expected to be completed by the end of 2030. The annual volume of cargo transportation is planned to increase to 15 million tons. Modern transit and logistics centers, warehouses and terminals will also be built along the route.

Thus, the route "China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan" can bring not only transport infrastructure, but also the economic integration of the region to a new level. This road will directly connect the Fergana Valley with China and is considered as one of the shortest transit routes on the Eurasian continent. After the project is implemented, the transportation distance along the China-Europe and China-South Asia routes will be reduced by 900 km and 1000 km, respectively, and the transportation time will be reduced by about a week. However, strategic priorities in the region are not limited to this project. Another of them is the Trans-Afghan Railway (Uzbekistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan).

The implementation of this project will create a sustainable transport corridor connecting Uzbekistan and the whole of Central Asia with South Asia. Thanks to this, countries in the region will have access to seaports. In addition, all SCO member countries will be able to be connected by a single railway line. On July 17, 2025, the first trilateral meeting was held in Kabul at the level of the foreign ministers of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, at which a Framework Agreement on the development of a feasibility study for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway was signed.

The route "Termez - Naybabad - Maidanshahr - Logar - Kharlachi" was chosen as the main direction of the project. Subsequently, the cargo transported on this route will be integrated with the Pakistan Peshawar-Karachi Railway and delivered to the ports of Karachi and Qasim. The launch of both railways - "China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan" and "Uzbekistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan" - will contribute to the deep integration of the transport and logistics system of Uzbekistan into the global network. This will not only allow domestic products to be delivered to world markets faster and cheaper, but will also significantly reduce transport costs in the cost of imported products.

The revival of the Silk Road is an opportunity not only to revive the historical heritage, but also to take its rightful place in the new global economic order. Large joint projects in transport infrastructure create the basis for strategic stability, economic growth in the Eurasian space and the beginning of a new era of cooperation based on mutual trust between peoples.

Shokzhakhon Shikhnazarov,

Chief Specialist

Center for the Study of

Transport Problems