China Constructs a Ring of Transport Influence
"The Ring of Transport Influence" is emerging as a key concept in the development of infrastructure across Eurasia.
China Is Building A Ring Of Transport Influence In Central And South Asia
By Nightingale Intelligence
China is actively shaping a ring of transport influence in Central Asia by developing an integrated infrastructure system that effectively weaves the region into the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Key elements of this strategy include the construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway and support for the trans-Afghan railway, which together will form a unified transport network under Beijing’s leadership.
China’s efforts to realise this project became evident with the launch of trilateral talks among China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, during which the long-awaited decision was made to include Afghanistan in CPEC.
Inclusion Of Afghanistan And The Central Asian States In Cpec Is Strategically Crucial For China
As the largest project under the Belt and Road Initiative, CPEC is intended to bring more countries into its orbit to reconcile Afghanistan with Pakistan and to foster sustainable development across the region. Following the trilateral meeting on May 21, 2025, participants announced a package of measures to ease Afghan-Pakistani trade: finalize transit agreements by June 30, cut cargo inspections to 10%, and launch a pilot cross-handling of 500 containers.
Experts argue that extending CPEC into Afghanistan and the Central Asian republics will enhance the security and resilience of the Belt and Road Initiative, spur economic growth and job creation, and that China’s mediation between Kabul and Islamabad will add strategic depth to its regional initiatives.
The Ring Of Transport Influence Will Become The Heart Of China’s Supply Chain
This emerging infrastructure could serve as the backbone of China’s supply chain: finished goods will flow to Europe, the Middle East and East Africa via Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and the Pakistani ports of Gwadar and Karachi, as well as Iran’s Chabahar and Bandar Abbas.
The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway will traverse zones hosting 23 mineral deposits—including hard and lignite coal, gold, aluminium, iron, gypsum, barite, lead and limestone—linking them to major Chinese projects for electric-vehicle production, battery manufacturing and solar power plants in the Andijan and Jizzakh regions.
Moreover, the rehabilitation of the Qalai Khumb–Vanj–Rushon rail section in Tajikistan by the China Road and Bridge Corporation will open a corridor from resource-rich Gorno-Badakhshan into Uzbekistan. Enhanced cooperation with Afghanistan will allow minerals extracted there to feed Central Asian industrial facilities.
In sum, over the next five years, completing key railway segments and ratifying transit agreements could trigger a sharp rise in freight volumes and cement China’s transport ring as the central hub of regional supply.