Author: liguangman source: liguangman freezing point review wechat official account id:ligm-479210127 has been authorized to reprint
According to observer.com, Kyrgyz President zaparov said in an interview on May 30 that after he explained to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Kyrgyzstan needs the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway just as it needs “air and water”, Putin said he would no longer oppose the project. Zaparov said that after the completion of the feasibility study, the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway will start construction in 2023. This is a major positive message for Central Asian countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, as well as Western Asian countries such as Iran and Turkey. It is also a message of great strategic significance for China.
The China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway, with a total length of about 577 kilometers, starts from Kashgar, Xinjiang, China, passes through Karasu, Kyrgyzstan, and reaches Andijan in Uzbekistan. It is an important part of the “new Eurasian Continental Bridge”, specifically the southern branch of the “new Eurasian Continental Bridge”. Once the project is successfully completed, China will be able to connect its western region with Iran, Turkey, the Balkans and the whole Europe. It is China’s “shortest freight route” to Europe and the Middle East. Through the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway, the freight journey between China and Europe will be shortened by 900 kilometers and the time will be saved by 78 days.
Now we need to find out why Putin has always opposed the construction of the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway. I think there are two main reasons.
First, the five Central Asian countries are the former Soviet republics. Now, except Turkmenistan, the other four countries are members of the collective security organization led by Russia. Russia has always believed that Central Asia is Russia’s sphere of influence and its backyard, so it is unwilling to let the forces of other countries enter, even if it is a strategic partner like China. Once the forces of other countries enter, It will certainly weaken Russia’s influence and control over the region.
Second, from the perspective of economic interests, the current route of China EU trains mainly passes through Russia or Kazakhstan, and finally still passes through Russia before entering Europe. Russia can benefit from the transportation of China EU trains. Once the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway is opened, it directly bypasses Russia, passes through Iran to Turkey, and finally enters Europe from Turkey. In this way, Russia will be marginalized by the Eurasian transportation and trade network, which is unacceptable to Russia.
The above two points make Russia not take a positive attitude towards the construction of the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway, and even have been obstructing the construction of this project, so that this project of great strategic significance to China has not been built for 25 years.
Now why did Putin agree to build this railway again? Mainly due to the impact of the Russian Ukrainian war on Russia’s international strategy.
First, whatever the outcome of the Russo Ukrainian war, the United States will deepen its control over Europe. The relationship between Russia and Europe cannot be improved in the short term. An iron curtain will appear along the line from Finland to the Baltic countries to Poland, Slovakia and Romania. This iron curtain will exist for at least 20 or even 30 years. Russia and Europe will be in politics, energy Financial and economic exchanges will be seriously affected for a long time. Russia’s strategic eastward shift, strengthening ties with China, India, Iran and Central Asia, and forming a new strategic pattern will be an inevitable choice for Russia for a long time in the future.
Second, the Russian Ukrainian war will consume a lot of Russia, and there is no sign of the end of the war. In order to maintain the war, develop the economy and stabilize the people’s feelings, cooperation with China is the only option, because neither Iran nor India nor Central Asian countries can support the Russian economy. Only China has this strength.
Third, the Russian Ukrainian war is at a critical moment, and Russia cannot afford another anti Russian situation in Central Asia. At this time, the president of Kyrgyzstan proposed to Putin to build the China Kyrgyzstan Ukraine railway, which Putin cannot refuse. Otherwise, once Kyrgyzstan and other countries take anti Russian actions, Russia will not be able to take severe measures against Central Asian countries before the end of the Ukrainian war.
Fourth, Russia cannot lose China at this time. In the future, Russia’s demand for China will only increase or decrease. In the future, after Europe and the United States completely cut off the import of Russian oil and natural gas, it will be inevitable for Russia to implement the energy east transmission strategy and export more oil and natural gas to China, and it will not be able to leave China in terms of currency, trade and diplomacy. In international exchanges, in addition to morality, all countries attach more importance to national interests, and so does China. Therefore, Russia can no longer prevent the construction of the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway, which is of great significance to China. This is not only a concession of geopolitical interests, but also a consideration of national strategy.
Now we need to understand the significance of the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway to China.
First, China has several development directions of great geostrategic significance.
First, the Tumen River Delta, where China, Russia and North Korea meet, belonged to China in history and was ceded to tsarist Russia due to the Treaty of Huihui and the Treaty of Beijing. Since then, China has lost its access to the sea in the direction of the sea of Japan. China is only 15 kilometers away from the sea of Japan, so it can see the sea at a glance and cannot be close to the sea. At present, China can obtain the estuary of Tumen River by proposing to lease the land in the estuary area from Russia for 99 years. China, Russia and the DPRK have jointly built a special economic zone. China has built a large military port here, which has great economic interests for both Russia and the DPRK. It can also promote the rapid economic development of Northeast China, the Russian Far East and the DPRK, and form a new economic growth pole. Most importantly, if China can get the opportunity to build a large military port here, it will directly threaten Japan. It is like putting a dagger in Japan’s chest, which is more effective than any number of aircraft carriers.
The second is the Pan Asian Railway in Southeast Asia. Now the China Laos railway has been built, which is a good start. In the future, the China Laos railway can extend to Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, connect with the China Vietnam Railway, and connect with the railway network in Southeast Asia from Yunnan and Guangxi, thus forming the transportation network between China and Southeast Asia. In addition, the construction of the China Myanmar railway between China and Myanmar forms the western line of the Pan Asian Railway, which can bypass the Malacca Strait and directly insert into the Indian Ocean. At present, there are still problems in the promotion of this railway.
Third, China Nepal railway. The China Nepal railway is currently under construction. This railway is of great strategic significance to the security of Tibet in China, opening up the traffic barrier between China and Nepal, and curbing the impact of India in this region. Although the United States and India have tried their best to destroy the construction of the China Nepal railway, this railway will be completed, and China and Nepal will also become an important strategic partnership.
Fourth, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor is the most important project of China’s westward strategy. It is a national project that China has invested a huge amount of money and vigorously promoted. At present, the construction of the project is smooth, but it has also been damaged by foreign enemies to the state and local terrorist organizations. After the completion of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, China will directly break through the traffic barrier between Western China and the Indian Ocean, forming a land transportation artery for China to enter western Asia and the Indian Ocean, thereby strengthening the transportation, economic and political links between China and Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, and forming a new economic development region.
Fifth, the transportation network between China and Central Asian countries. There is a major land route from China to Europe through Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan, which is the main route of the China Europe train currently in operation and the main land route of the the Belt and Road. Due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, this major transportation artery may be affected or even paralyzed due to the deterioration of Russia Europe relations for a long time in the future. Therefore, it is urgent to find another way.
Second, the strategic value of the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway.
First, Western China, Russia, Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan are currently forming a new geopolitical region. This region is the core region of the Eurasian continent, the core region of the Northern Line of China’s the Belt and Road land economic belt, and the core region of the Eurasian Continental strategy jointly promoted by China and Russia. If this region can form a safe and stable political environment, It is bound to usher in an important period of economic recovery and take-off.
Second, most of the major countries that the United States implements political encirclement, suppression and economic sanctions, except Cuba, Venezuela and other countries in Latin America, are in this region. China, Iran, Russia and Afghanistan, which has just ended the war, have an inherent need to be Americanized politically, economically, financially and militarily. Therefore, this region is generating an endogenous need to keep warm and resist the influence of the United States.
Third, this region is one of the most important energy rich regions in the world. The Caspian Sea, Iran and Central Asian countries are rich in oil and natural gas resources. At the same time, this region is also rich in other mineral resources. If the land transportation barrier can be broken through, China will form strong political, transportation, energy and trade ties with this region, It will solve the security problem of the Malacca Strait to China’s energy transportation affected by complex geopolitics, and is of great significance to China’s energy import diversification and transportation security.
Fourth, the liberation of Taiwan is a key move for China to break through the blockade of the US Maritime island chain and break the US maritime hegemony. Developing westward, reviving the land rights of the Eurasian continent, integrating the economy of the entire Eurasian continent, and re marginalizing the island country of the United States, Japan, Britain, and Australia are an important symbol of China’s rejuvenation and the century long change in the world pattern. Although the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway is only a small project of 577 kilometers, it is a big step taken by China’s westward strategy after the construction of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and the starting point of another major transportation artery in the Eurasian continent.
Third, the follow-up impact of the Russian Ukrainian war.
First, the Russian Ukrainian war is becoming protracted. It seems that the United States is consuming Russia through proxy war, and it has no loss of its own. However, Ukraine will fail at any time because it does not give blood to Ukraine, which makes the United States have to continue to increase its military and economic assistance to Ukraine. In fact, it is consuming the national strength of Russia and the United States at the same time, On the surface, the protracted war between Russia and Ukraine is beneficial to the United States. In fact, it is beneficial to China. In order to maintain the war, Russia had to fall deeper to China and rely on China. While the United States is damaging its credit, it is also seriously overdrawing its national strength. The protracted war between Russia and Ukraine will make both Russia and the United States deeply involved in this war and unable to extricate themselves. This is an important strategic window period for China. Because the United States is unable to deal with China and Russia at the same time, it can only be a bluff to China. Therefore, China can use this period to ask Russia for the outlet of the Tumen River. In the Taiwan Strait, it can take advantage of this situation to liberate Taiwan and realize national reunification.
Second, the Russian Ukrainian war clearly shows that the relationship between Russia and Europe will continue to deteriorate, the isolation between Russia and the United States and Europe will continue, and Europe will be further divided and controlled by the United States. In the future, China US relations will be dominated by conflict and confrontation. China EU relations will also continue to be tense and will not ease in the short term. This is a general trend and judgment. Therefore, China’s collective encirclement and suppression by the United States and the entire Western bloc will not end in a short time, but will become more and more intense. China should make preparations for a long-term and arduous struggle.
Third, China, Russia, Iran and other countries should jointly operate Central Asia, the Middle East and other core areas of the Eurasian continent, crack sea power with land power, and use the strength of the Eurasian continent against the strength of the island group. Putin’s agreement to build the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway is not so much a forced move of poor strength as a start for Russia to abandon its illusions about Europe and restart its strategic layout. An important aspect of the future victory of land power in Asia and Europe over the sea power of the island countries of the United States, Britain and Japan is India. If India can join the China Russia Iraq camp and form the main national camp in China, Russia, Iraq and India, the island countries such as the United States, Britain, Australia and Japan will eventually decline, Europe will return to the Eurasian continent. If India is short-sighted and joins the US camp, although it will not change the general trend, it will prolong the confrontation time between Asian and European continental countries and island countries such as the United States.
China Laos railway, China Nepal railway, China Pakistan Economic Corridor, China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway, as well as the estuary of the Tumen River, the trans Asian Railway, and the China Russia Iran India continental state group that we need to strive for, some have begun, some are still planning, and some still need to strive for. As long as we persist, we will be able to achieve thousands of miles in small steps, achieve big victories in small victories, and finally achieve the grand strategic goals.
The rise of China and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a historic event and a long historical process. It can never be achieved overnight. It requires continuous efforts from generation to generation. We are still at the starting point of major historical changes. China’s efforts in every direction are still at the beginning. To complete this grand idea, it is more necessary to have toughness, persistence, perseverance and perhaps twists and turns, There may be failures, but the decline of American imperialism will not change, the general trend of change that has not been seen in a century will not change, and the process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will not change.