The Millennium Silk Road has embarked on a new journey, and regional connectivity has deepened. With the continuous progress of the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road", the accelerated construction of the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan railway, and the continuous improvement of cross-border multimodal transport channels, Uzbekistan, located in the geographical center of Central Asia, is accelerating its transformation from an ancient inland country to a key hub connecting China, Central Asia and Europe, and becoming a strategic pivot for regional connectivity and economic and trade cooperation.

Uzbekistan is located in the hinterland of Central Asia and is a commercial hub connecting the five countries in the region, known as the "heart of Central Asia". As the most populous country in the region, the country relies on sufficient labor force and abundant resources such as gold, cotton, oil and gas, and agriculture to provide solid support for connectivity. For a long time, inland location has constrained logistics efficiency; Nowadays, the multi-dimensional connectivity network centered on railways, highways, energy, digital technology, and trade is accelerating its formation, completely opening up development space.

Transportation interconnection is the core engine. As a landmark project of the the Belt and Road, the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway has a total length of 523 km. It adopts a standard gauge and wide gauge compatible design, with a bridge tunnel ratio of 39%. Project financing, survey and design, and regulatory projects are progressing at the same time. It is expected that the railway will be completed around 2030, forming the shortest land route from western China to Europe. At the same time, the China Tajikistan Uzbekistan multimodal transport corridor has launched a pilot program, the China Europe freight train "China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan" channel has been normalized, air freight routes have been encrypted, and a modern logistics system with land air linkage and multimodal coordination has been preliminarily constructed.

Continuous optimization of policies and business environment. Uzbekistan is vigorously promoting market-oriented reforms, implementing preferential policies such as 5-10 year tax reductions and exemptions from import tariffs on equipment and raw materials in free economic zones, relaxing restrictions on foreign shareholding, and simplifying approval and customs clearance processes. China and Ukraine have established a multi-level docking mechanism to collaborate in areas such as production capacity cooperation, infrastructure construction, and trade facilitation, providing stable guarantees for cross-border operations of enterprises.

Deep integration of industrial synergy and facility connectivity. Uzbekistan is advancing the transformation of its transportation network, energy grid, and urbanization, with a strong demand for infrastructure; Chinese enterprises have outstanding advantages in the fields of building materials, engineering machinery, rail transit, and new energy equipment. The cooperation between the two sides covers key projects such as photovoltaic power stations, municipal transportation, and industrial parks. The fields of deep processing of agricultural products, light spinning, mechanical assembly, home appliances and electronics have strong complementarity, and rely on connectivity channels to achieve capacity complementarity and market sharing.

From the hub of the ancient Silk Road to the modern gateway of connectivity, Uzbekistan is activating regional development momentum through all-round interconnectivity. According to industry insiders, accelerating the construction of major projects such as the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway, improving the multimodal transport system, and deepening policy and industry integration will further smooth the China Central Asia Economic Corridor, promote regional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and inject lasting momentum into building a China Central Asia community with a shared future.Editor/Bian Wenjun