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.