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China reaches major tunnel milestone on Central Asia railway bypassing Russia

From South China Morning Post · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • Officials announced the completion of drilling on a 210-metre tunnel in the Kyrgyz section of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway.
  • The milestone came after Xi Jinping’s visit to Kyrgyzstan and represents the first such breakthrough since full-scale work began in June 2025.
  • The railway is a flagship Belt and Road project intended to give China a trade corridor that bypasses Russia.

Chinese project officials have announced the successful drilling of a 210-metre tunnel along the long-delayed China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, shortly after President Xi Jinping visited Kyrgyzstan.

The tunnel is the first one drilled through in the Kyrgyz section since full-scale construction began in June 2025. Its completion gives the project an early, concrete milestone after years of delay.

The railway is a flagship project under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. Once completed, it is intended to provide China with a major trade corridor through Central Asia that bypasses Russia.

The 210-metre structure, equivalent to about 690 feet, was drilled in the Kyrgyz section. The announcement highlights the progress of a route designed to link China with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

About this summary

Originally published by South China Morning Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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