Deep in the mountains of Issyk Kul region, the cold wind is piercing. In the Jeti Oguz mountain area, 560 kilometers away from the capital city of Bishkek, a construction team is challenging the harsh natural environment. The average altitude here is close to 3200 meters, and the nearest settlement, Ak Chirac Village, is 35 kilometers away from the mining area. The high cold and lack of oxygen have not stopped the pace of development. With several heavy excavators roaring to break through the frozen soil, the first large-scale mining project in Kyrgyzstan since independence that relies entirely on local resources, the Togolok Gold Mine, has officially begun construction.

This treasure that had been dormant for over forty years has finally been awakened. As early as 1978, geological explorers discovered abundant gold resources here, but it was not until recent years that the conditions for development were truly met. In August 2023, Kumtor Operations Company obtained the mining license; After more than a year of feasibility study, the data from August 2024 confirms the enormous commercial potential of the project. Now, there are 8 giant mining trucks and 2 excavators ready on site in the mining area, and the first batch of ore will be mined within a few months.

In order to ensure the smooth progress of this "national name" project, local supporting construction is in full swing. The original road has been widened and reinforced, a new bridge spanning the Kexi River has been built, and a dormitory area capable of accommodating 85 workers has also been constructed. In April 2026, after strict international bidding screening, China Inland Forest Engineering successfully signed the contract and took on the responsibility of constructing core production facilities in the mining area. This is not only another appearance of Chinese technology in the field of high-altitude mining infrastructure, but also a vivid footnote to the deep cultivation of the Central Asian market by Chinese enterprises.

State owned assets control the lifeline

Gold is undoubtedly the lifeblood of Kyrgyzstan's economy. According to data from 2025, the country's gold exports reached 6.2 tons, generating a revenue of 682 million US dollars, accounting for nearly a quarter of the country's total exports. In order to firmly grasp this economic pillar, Kyrgyzstan has adopted a firm nationalization strategy. Previously, the country's largest high-altitude gold mine, Kumtor Gold Mine, was operated by Canadian companies for a long time until it was nationalized in 2021 and is now fully controlled by state-owned platform Gilgi Zarting.

The benefits brought by this nationalization are immediate. In 2025, the Kumtor gold mine will produce up to 12081 kilograms, achieve revenue of 1.434 billion US dollars, net profit of 706 million US dollars, and pay 246.5 million US dollars in taxes and related payments to the country. Nowadays, the country is using the huge cash flow generated by this mature mine to incubate new production capacity such as Togolok, aiming to build a completely independent and controllable state-owned gold industry chain closed loop.

Chinese Enterprise Technology Escort

The uniqueness of the Togoluk project lies in its transformation of development mode. Unlike the previous overall development model that relied on foreign mining enterprises, Kyrgyzstan chose to handle the project on its own and only introduced external forces for engineering construction. This combination of "local autonomy+Chinese construction" aims to create a brand new benchmark mine. China Ruilin Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. stood out in international bidding with its rich construction experience accumulated in high-altitude mining areas.

For Chinese enterprises, this is not only a project delivery, but also an important opportunity to deeply enter the Central Asian mining engineering track. Relying on their construction capabilities in complex geographical environments, Chinese companies are helping Kyrgyzstan transform its resource advantages into industrial advantages, while also further expanding its overseas mining contracting business.

Industrial autonomy acceleration

The construction of the Togoluk gold mine marks a new stage in the development of Kyrgyzstan's mining industry. For a long time, the country's mining industry has been plagued by dependence on foreign investment, with profit outflows and a lack of control over resources always being pain points. Now, through the integrated state-owned development model, the country is attempting to completely change this pattern.keywords:Engineering infrastructure

With the gradual improvement of roads, bridges, electricity, and production facilities, the gold mines on this plateau will no longer be just a mining site, but will become an important engine driving the local industrialization process. From infrastructure construction to future production and operation, each link will leave more marks of "local manufacturing", further strengthening the country's control over gold resources and providing solid support for the stability of the national economy.Editor/Yang Meiling