Amidst the vast fields and mines of Surkhan River Oblast, as Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev gently pressed the red button on the control panel with his fingers, the massive electronic screen on site was instantly illuminated by a green signal of "start". On February 26th local time, this border state located at the southernmost end of Ukraine and bordering Afghanistan welcomed the largest "collective construction" in history -44 full industry chain projects covering mining, light industry, and tourism officially broke ground or were completed and put into operation, with a total investment of 7.1 billion US dollars.

This is no longer the 'edge' of the country, but the 'gateway' to the South Asian market, "Mirziyoyev told Chinese and foreign investors during the inspection site. He particularly emphasized the need to make good use of the unique location of Surkhan River Oblast, which borders Afghanistan and Tajikistan, to create a new industrial growth pole here. It is reported that the GDP of Surkhan Darya Oblast reached 63.7 trillion Sums last year, but the industrial output value only accounted for 18.8 trillion Sums. The $7.1 billion "super transfusion" this time is equivalent to injecting more than three times the state's annual industrial output value, and its "hematopoietic" effect is self-evident.

44 projects have been implemented

The ceremony of President Mirziyoyev personally supervising the formation is actually a "double shot" of "completion" and "commencement". There are a total of 44 projects involved on site, which are clearly divided into two batches:

The first batch: 13 projects have been completed and put into operation (with a total investment of 741 million US dollars). This batch of projects has completed the transformation from drawings to physical objects, mainly involving mining, furniture manufacturing, and food processing. It is worth noting that these "turnkey" projects were jointly completed by investors from China, Türkiye, India, Pakistan, Russia and Tajikistan. Among them, projects such as the Shaergong coal mine, in which Chinese funded enterprises participate in the renovation, have begun to supply stable energy to the local power grid.

Second batch: 31 projects officially launched (with a total investment of 6.3 billion US dollars). This is the highlight of this ceremony and also the "ballast stone" for the future economy of the Surkhang River region. The investor lineup for this new batch of projects is more international, including Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, and Afghanistan. Chinese capital not only maintained a high level of participation in this batch, but also dominated in key mining deep processing and new energy fields.

From Mining to Creation

Unlike the past where raw materials were simply exported, the project launched this time has a distinct feature: it refuses to "sell resources" and focuses on "making products".

During the report, Mirziyoyev specifically pointed out that the Surkhan River Oblast has abundant copper, silver, and coal resources, but in the past, it could only export ores at low prices. In the project launched this time, several Chinese mining giants plan to invest in the construction of beneficiation plants and smelting plants. This means that in the future, the Surkhang River region will no longer be just a 'mine', but a 'factory'. The ore will be processed locally into high value-added metal sheets or cables, and then exported to the international market.

In addition to hardcore mining, light industry and service industry have also become new highlights. In the fields of light industry and food industry, a number of modern textile factories and fruit and vegetable processing plants will emerge, utilizing local high-quality cotton and fruit resources to produce finished clothing and canned food that meets EU standards. In terms of the service industry, hotel and commercial center projects targeting border trade and logistics needs have also been launched simultaneously, aiming to build the city of Tiermez into a land transportation hub between Central Asia and South Asia.

18000 jobs and 1.4 billion exports

For local residents, the most intuitive feeling will be that there are more rice bowls at their doorstep. The official estimate is that after all 44 projects are put into operation, they will directly create 18000 stable job opportunities. For a border state with a predominantly agricultural population, this means that a large number of young people can earn decent industrial jobs locally without having to travel to Tashkent or Russia to work.

In terms of economic indicators, the project group will achieve an annual industrial output value of 82 trillion Sums and increase the state's annual export value from the current $483 million to $1.4 billion. This data has almost tripled, which will greatly improve Uzbekistan's foreign exchange reserve structure.

President Mirziyoyev emphasized in the end that the government will provide "one-stop" services for businesses, crack down on bureaucracy and corruption, and ensure that every penny of this $7.1 billion investment can take root. With the advancement of these projects, the Surkhang River Region is expected to surpass some central regions within three years and become one of the fastest-growing economies in Uzbekistan.

Chinese capital played a core engine role in this investment feast, not only leading the first batch of $741 million completed projects, but also deeply participating in the subsequent $6.3 billion new construction projects. This is not only the fruitful result of the the Belt and Road Initiative jointly built by China and Uzbekistan, but also a key step in Uzbekistan's transformation to a "manufacturing center in Central Asia".Editor/Yang Meiling