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China opens new Central Asia rail link to strengthen overland trade amid shipping risks

Beijing’s push to develop a transcontinental rail network has reduced exposure to naval chokepoints, analyst says

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The new route comes as China continues to expand its overland trade network across Central Asia and beyond. Photo: Handout
He Huifengin Guangdong
A new 5,420 km (3,367 miles) rail service connecting western China with Turkmenistan has launched, expanding the country’s trade network in Central Asia as part of Beijing’s intensifying efforts to diversify overland routes and bolster supply chain resilience.

The inaugural train departed on Sunday from Xining, capital of Qinghai province, loaded with electrical appliances, auto parts, clothing and other daily necessities, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The 55-container goods train is expected to reach western Turkmenistan’s strategically-located freight rail terminal in Balkan Velayat in 14 to 15 days.

Since launching its first China-Europe goods train service in 2016, Qinghai has emerged as a gateway connecting western China with the Eurasian land mass, expanding international rail links to 16 cities across 10 countries. With the new service, the province’s Central Asian network now reaches Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, broadening market access for exporters.

The new route will pass through the Horgos border crossing in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and through Kazakhstan, and marks the latest step in Beijing’s push to build a land-based supply chain and trade network spanning Central Asia, Southeast Asia and Europe, deepening economic ties with resource-rich neighbours and reducing reliance on vulnerable maritime shipping lanes.
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