Light Expedition – Easy Transportation

China and Tajikistan have agreed to prepare a feasibility study for the reconstruction of infrastructure at the Kulma / Karasu border crossing. The cost of this stage is estimated at 1.42 million yuan, and according to available information, it will be covered by the Chinese side.

Tajikistan, for its part, is expected to ensure the safety of Chinese specialists and simplify import and export procedures for equipment needed to implement the project.

The exact facilities and infrastructure elements to be upgraded have not yet been officially disclosed. However, the project is strategically important: Kulma / Karasu is the only land border crossing between China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.

The crossing has been operating since 2004, and since 2016 it has functioned year-round. Plans for modernization were already being discussed in 2023, including in connection with road repairs on the Tajik side. According to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport, 472,800 tons of cargo passed through the checkpoint in 2023.

For the region, this is more than an infrastructure upgrade — it is a step toward stronger transport connectivity between China and Central Asia.

Construction has begun in Uzbekistan on a new 28-km electrified railway line, Khavast–Dashtabad. The route will run between the Syrdarya and Jizzakh regions, south of Tashkent, and is expected to increase the capacity of one of the country’s key rail corridors — the Tashkent–Samarkand line. At the same time, the project cost, completion timeline, and future traffic parameters have not yet been officially disclosed.

China has carried out its first multimodal transport operation using the TIR system. A shipment of auto parts was delivered from China to Uzbekistan through a combined rail-and-road route. The cargo was first transported by rail to the China–Kyrgyzstan border, and then moved by truck through Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan.

The use of the TIR system helped simplify border crossings and reduce delivery times. For the region, this is an important development, as multimodal solutions are becoming increasingly востребованы amid growing international trade and the need for faster transit.

It is also worth noting that China joined the TIR system relatively recently, in 2018. The development of this segment was later slowed by coronavirus restrictions and was effectively interrupted for several years. Even so, within a short period China has already launched several TIR routes and established border logistics hubs offering a full range of services under this format.

Overall, this shows that China is steadily expanding the use of TIR in international logistics and strengthening transport links with Central Asian countries.