Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

Regarding China's infrastructure connectivity with neighboring countries, two more pieces of good news have come in recent days. One is that President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov announced that construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will officially begin on December 27, and the other is that while inspecting the construction site of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway project, Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said the project is expected to start at the end of 2025 and will ensure smooth and synchronized connectivity with the railway line of China. These two projects have been proposed for a long time. In particular, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway has been in the making for more than 20 years, and now it is moving from blueprint to reality, which will have far-reaching impact on the countries concerned and the regions.

Previously, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railroad project had been called "a fantasy." The difficulties people mentioned include how the different gauges between China and Central Asian countries can be connected, how financing problems and technical difficulties can be overcome, and some geopolitical concerns of the relevant countries. The obstacles encountered in cooperation between China and Vietnam to build a cross-border railway with standardized gauges are similar. Now, China and relevant countries have reached a consensus on the construction of the two railroads. The railroads have not yet begun construction, but the "road to the heart" has already been built, which itself has historic significance. The demand for connectivity and the desire of regional countries to develop their economies have become the main driving force for these projects. This is a true reflection of the closer integration of interests between China and its neighboring countries and the deepening of friendship and mutual trust.

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, on the one hand, is entrusted with the vision of China to promote regional development through high-level opening-up. On the other hand, it carries the desire of Central Asian countries to play the role of "strategic bridge between the East and the West" and to drive their economic take-off. The Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railroad project provides much-needed infrastructure upgrading opportunities for the development of Vietnam's economy. It also meets the demand for fast and high-quality transportation of goods from Chinese inland provinces to Hai Phong, the largest port in northern Vietnam. Although the two railroads are thousands of miles apart, they tell the story of the two-way efforts between China and neighboring countries.

The upgrading of China's comprehensive strategic partnership with the five Central Asian countries, along with the deepening of the Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future, has laid a solid foundation for cooperation on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and the China-Vietnam railway. Furthermore, the success of the China-Europe Railway Express, as an achievement of the new Silk Road across Eurasia, and the vitality injected into regional trade and cultural exchange by connectivity projects like the China-Laos Railway have provided a positive model and impetus for China's railway collaborations with Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. These two projects are deeply rooted in the fertile soil of regional economic integration and will serve as vital pieces to complete the puzzle of regional economic collaboration.

The transition of these two railway projects from intentions to formal agreements marks a breakthrough in regional cooperation. The completion of these railways is expected to create a "siphon effect," spurring rapid development in surrounding areas.

For instance, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will turn Kyrgyzstan into a transit hub, with an estimated 15-20 million tons of goods passing through annually, potentially generating around $2 billion in transit fees each year.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan hopes to leverage the railway to transform itself into a "crossroads" of the Eurasia region, establishing itself as an international transportation hub. In terms of the wider region, the construction of the Trans-Asian Railway network from Singapore to Istanbul, Turkey, to Europe has long been a dream of the countries of the region, and is gradually becoming a reality thanks to the persistent efforts of all parties. Every country has the right to dream of development, and connectivity is helping make that dream come true.

The tracks of connectivity carry the express train of economic globalization, bearing the aspirations of countries along the routes to achieve modernization. This is why they are widely embraced and have become a trend of the times.

Railways are more than mere corridors - they embody China's principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness, and the essence of China's foreign policy of building friendship and partnership with neighboring countries. They reflect the neighboring countries' continued optimism about China's economic prospects and development path, as well as a shared commitment to peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. China's vision of building an Asia where countries coexist in harmony and mutual prosperity extends forward with every railway track.