China initiates new Silk Road railway bypassing Russia
The construction of a railway line from China to Kyrgyzstan and further to Uzbekistan has been ceremoniously initiated. This will provide an alternative route to the new Silk Road, which passes through Russia, Belarus, and Poland. This investment will give Beijing more options for delivering goods to Europe.
Beijing is preparing for various scenarios related to the war in Ukraine. One involves direct involvement of U.S. forces and the fragmentation of the Russian Federation, writes "Rzeczpospolita". As a result, the Americans would focus on China.
The investment in the new railway through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan will offer more routes for sending goods to Europe by bypassing Russian territory. Such routes are already available to China. The aim is to encourage the so-called Old Continent to maintain neutrality in the event of an escalation between Beijing and Washington through economic ties.
At the end of 2024, a ceremonial commencement of the works on the railway line from China to Kyrgyzstan and further to Uzbekistan, named CKU, took place, according to the daily. Construction in Kyrgyzstan is expected to last six years.
A few billion dollars for the construction of the Silk Road line
"The routing of CKU has been discussed since 1990, but it was not until after Russia invaded Ukraine that the interested countries signed an agreement in Beijing on 6 June 2024, and agreed to the challenging investment in southern Kyrgyzstan's high mountains," writes "Rzeczpospolita".
The newspaper reported that the new route will bypass Russia and shorten the journey from China to Europe by about 900 kilometres. As a result, the travel time will be reduced by approximately 8 days.
"The Chinese government provided £1.85 billion in low-interest loans, which will cover half of the estimated construction costs amounting to £3.7 billion." notes "Rz".
