A Chinese company, Shipbuilding Industry Corp., is exploring the possibility of building container facilities at the Kazakh port cities of Aktau and Kuryk, according to Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport. A ministry statement added that China Railways Group Ltd. has "expressed interest in projects to modernize existing [routes] and build new railway lines." Discussions have so far yielded no specific deals.
In neighboring Kyrgyzstan, representatives of Kyrgyz Railways (KTZ) say freight rail traffic in the country experienced a 15 percent increase during the first 10 months of 2023, compared with the same period the previous year. Cargo traversing Kyrgyz rails during the January-October period amounted to 7.45 million tons, according to KTZ. The "implementation of multimodal corridors," including plans to develop a new China-Uzbek-Kyrgyz line, helped boost cargo traffic, KTZ added. The new project has had trouble attracting investors. At a recent press conference, KTZ Deputy Director Dastan Usubakunov put the price tag of the China-Uzbek-Kyrgyz railway at $4 billion.
In aviation developments, Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Ministry announced that a Chinese carrier, Loong Air, was set to operate a new route between Bishkek and Chengdu starting December 12. Initial plans call for two flights per week between the two cities.
Elsewhere, Chinese and Tajik officials held talks on opening a new air connection between the two states.
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