China’s cross-border rail buildout is chugging along.
A new freight service opened this week connecting western China with Turkmenistan, the latest in a series of Belt and Road Initiative projects aimed at deepening Beijing’s economic ties with Central Asia.
China is also investing in routes to Europe that avoid Russia and the Middle East; trips along that corridor have surged nearly 80% this year, Caixin reported, as companies look to skirt geopolitical volatility.
The inland routes could be especially attractive following the disruptions caused by the Strait of Hormuz closure; the Iran crisis shows how “geography is reasserting itself as the ultimate chokepoint,” The Asia Group wrote in a new report.
