A new six-billion-pound rail line has been given the green light and is set to transform the economic fortunes of two Central Asian countries.
The railway will connect China with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, bypassing Russia in the process.
The 523-kilometre (325 miles) long track will run west from the Chinese city of Kashgar in the northwestern region of Xinjiang through the Kyrgyz border city of Jalal-Abad to Andijan in Uzbekistan.
The £6 billion project has been in the pipeline since the 1990s, but economic and political pressure, particularly from Russia, had stalled it until now.
Construction on the ambitious rail link officially got under way at a groundbreaking ceremony on December 27.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said the new railway “will ensure the supply of goods from China to Kyrgyzstan and then to Central Asia”.
He added that the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway would also serve as “an important strategic bridge” between the East and West.
The project will “strengthen regional ties” and “diversify transport routes,” increasing the region’s competitiveness as a transit hub.
The new route is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a ploy to expand Beijing’s commercial and political influence around the world.
President Xi Jinping launched the BRI in 2013 while on overseas visits to Kazakhstan and Indonesia.
BRI projects and investments have been implemented in numerous countries across Asia, Africa, Europe and even South America.
Over 200 BRI cooperation agreements have been signed with more than 150 countries and 30 international organisations.
The projects include constructing or upgrading roads, ports, railways, pipelines and other trade-related infrastructure.
Internet connectivity and digital advancement programmes have also been pursued.
One of the largest and most notable BRI projects is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The project has included the construction of airports, railways, highways and pipelines, among other types of trade and energy infrastructure.
Total Chinese investments in the project have topped US$60 billion (£48bn).