China marks major tunnel milestone for Central Asia railway bypassing Russia

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Sep 7, 2026 #Andijan, #Beijing, #Belt and Road Initiative, #Bishkek, #CCTV, #China, #China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan, #europe, #Kazakhstan, #Kyrgyzstan, #Makmal, #Moscow, #russia, #sco, #South China Morning Post (SCMP), #Uzbekistan

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China marks major tunnel milestone for Central Asia railway bypassing Russia

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Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov (right) welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping to the capital Bishkek on August 30. Photo: AFP

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is a flagship belt and road project. Photo: Xinhua

Carol Yangin BeijingPublished: 8:00am, 7 Sep 2026Fresh off Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Kyrgyzstan, project officials have announced the successful drilling of a key tunnel along the long-stalled China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway.

This marks the first milestone for the flagship project under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, offering China a critical trade corridor bypassing Russia.

The 210-metre (690-foot) tunnel was the first drilled through in the Kyrgyz section since full-scale work began in June 2025, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday. Overall progress on the section had reached 17 per cent, it said.

The CKU Railway spans over 500km (310 miles), including about 305km in Kyrgyzstan alone. It runs from Kashgar in China’s western Xinjiang region through the mountains of Kyrgyzstan before terminating in Andijan, Uzbekistan.

Once completed, it will form the shortest overland route from China to the Middle East and Europe, cutting transit times by up to eight days compared to the China-Europe Railway Express, all three main routes of which transit Russia or Kazakhstan.

It will also provide a vital trade gateway for southern Xinjiang, according to CCTV.

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