31 year old Kyrgyz youth Nurjaze, wearing a safety helmet, ran back and forth between the construction sites of the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan railway. He worked as both a translator and a driver, and lived and ate with Chinese partners in the valley for over a year. Looking at the gradually forming slope at the tunnel entrance, he said that with the hard work and wisdom of the builders from both countries, this railway can definitely be built with high quality. On the construction site, there are many young people like him who pour their youth into the roadbed - the road is not yet open, but their hearts are already connected.

Extension of Steel Silk Road

In December 2024, the launch ceremony of the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan railway project was held in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan, and President Xi Jinping had high hopes in his congratulatory letter. Currently, multiple sections within the territory of Kyrgyzstan are advancing. As of August 2026, 26 out of 29 tunnels have started construction, 1 has been completed, 40 out of 50 bridges have started construction, 83 sections of 107 roadbed have entered the site, and tens of thousands of builders and over 7000 sets of equipment are working simultaneously. The overall progress is about 17%. This 568 kilometer railway will shorten the land route from China to Europe and the Middle East by about 900 kilometers and shorten the delivery time by 7 to 8 days in the future.

Nurbek, a translator from Jifang, works in the 11-1 project department. What excites him the most is that with the support of the Chinese side, Manas City has opened a railway talent school, and students can also go to China for further studies. Shovdurov, the deputy construction manager of the Ukrainian side, learned the unique experience of frozen soil and bridges from the Chinese side and is preparing to bring it back to China for use. Railways are not just steel rails, but also classrooms, positions, and agreements for young people from both countries to travel by train.

The plateau passage benefits the people

Bie Dieli Port is the third land port between China and Kyrgyzstan. It was temporarily opened on September 3, 2024, following the consensus of the first China Central Asia Summit in 2023 to open more ports. The cross-border road leading from the port to the village of Balskon in Lake Issyk Kul is tackling tough issues: permafrost, high-altitude tunnels, and gantry cranes and excavators lining the valley. Zanibekov, Deputy Director of the State Administration, said that the high level of construction by Chinese companies in difficult sections is admirable; Cai Yu, Vice President of China Road and Bridge Corporation in Jilin, mentioned that the frozen soil and ecological protection plan have been shared hand in hand with the Jilin side.

Local elders have said that this valley leads to a better life. Resident Orozhaliyev smiled and said that the children had begun to yearn for the day when the road was opened. The highway is expected to be completed by 2030 and will become the third international land route between China and Kyrgyzstan, allowing goods and tourists to cross the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains.

Urban arterial connectivity

Bishkek is embedded in the Chu River Valley, and the northern road network is saturated year-round. The northern ring road in Bishkek contracted by Chinese enterprises is 33.4km long, designed according to the standard of first-class highway, with elevated structure and cargo and passenger diversion. After completion, it can connect Almaty and Tashkent. Deputy District Mayor Baisov of Wuyi District has calculated clearly: congestion has decreased, logistics has become faster, and activities along the route have become more efficient. Project coordinator Karagulov called it an artery of international significance, and many citizens drove to the construction site to see the progress.

Jifang translator Tilek, who studied in Guangzhou for 6 years, hopes that tourists from Kazakhstan and Ukraine will take this road straight to Lake Issyk Kul. Governor Achirbayev of Chuhe Prefecture said that after the natural barrier becomes accessible, the linkage between Central Asian trade and industry will be further enhanced. A sentence from cross-border driver Akhtar Aliyev has been shared by many people: "Once the road is open, people's hearts will also be connected.keywords:Engineering infrastructure

From railways to ports, from high-altitude highways to city detours, China and Kyrgyzstan have built each road into a bond of righteousness and benefit. The 2026 SCO Summit will be held in Bishkek, and the clanging sound on the construction site is not only steel, but also the joint response of two countries to the good times.Editor/Yang Meiling