scholarly journals The Evolution of the Kazakhstani Silk Road Section from a Transport into a Logistics Corridor and the Economic Sustainability of Regional Development in Central Asia

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 6291
Author(s):  
Aislu Taisarinova ◽  
Giuseppe Loprencipe ◽  
Madina Junussova
Keyword(s):  
Regional Development ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Silk Road ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Western China ◽  
Economic Sustainability ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Agricultural Regions

Central Asian countries attract investment in transport infrastructure to rebuild the Silk Road paths and enjoy economic benefits from the participation in international trade. The Kazakhstani government approached the Russian and Chinese governments intending to join the Western Europe–Western China (WE–WC) initiative to boost the country’s regional development. The paper aims to assess how the WE–WC transport corridor affected the economic potential of linking cities and regions starting from the quality of transport infrastructure and leading to their export potential. The study’s findings showed that the Kazakhstan section of the WE–WC corridor was at an early stage of transformation from a transport into an economic corridor. While the Russia-Uzbekistan section continues to serve mainly a transit function and operate at the level of transport infrastructure, the China-Kyrgyzstan section has started evolving from the level of multimode transport corridor to the level of logistics corridor. The economic sustainability of the WE–WC linking mining and agricultural regions of Kazakhstan still comes into question and depends on the government’s further region-specific policy actions.

scholarly journals China-pakistan Relations and Regional Development in the Context of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asmat Naz
Keyword(s):  
Regional Development ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Western China ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Inductive Research ◽  
History Of ◽  
Under Construction ◽  
Gilgit Baltistan

Pakistan and China as all weather strategic partners have a history of glorious friendly relations. Both countries always try to make strong these relations through different geo-political, strategic and economic projects/agreements. The Pak-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) is also a key to make strong economic relations of both countries. It is considered to be an extension of China’s proposed 21st century Silk Road initiative and considered a centre for their relations. It is a huge project under construction that will undertake the construction of highway and railway links running through the areas from Gwadar in Baluchistan and culminating in Kashgar in western China, while passing through the regions of Baluchistan, Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (Khunjrab Pass) and run through most vital geostrategic locations. It will connect Pakistan with China and the Central Asian countries by the highway connecting Kashgar to Khunjrab and Gwadar. The CPEC is of high significance, as it making this region more economically viable, stable and sustainable. It is also one of many mega projects planned by China in Central, South and South East Asia for expanding its political and economic influence to counter the US influence in the region. China has made an attempt to fulfill multiple interests of its own by the financial investments in region on CPEC. It shall act as a trade bridge between China, Middle East and Europe through Pakistan and proved a source of economic benefits. The paper through the empirical and inductive research approach tries to identify the China-Pakistan relations and the regional development by the construction of CPEC. In this paper makes consideration of the main traits of the CPEC on both regions. It also emphasizes on the impacts on the economic situation of Pakistan at regional and global levels as well.

scholarly journals DISCOVERING CENTRAL ASIA: THE PROSPECTS FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE PATHS OF THE GREAT SILK ROAD

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 15-31
Author(s):  
Валерия Хетагурова ◽  
Valeriya Khetagurova
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Regional Development ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Tourism Development ◽  
Silk Road ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Current State ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Socio Economic Development

The article considers the prospects of tourism development in five countries of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. The author analyzes cultural, social and economic aspects of the tourism industry in the region. The main directions of activity of international organi-zations in the framework of tourism promotion programs are given. Central Asia has a huge potential for the tourism development. The study of the current state of tourism in Central Asia is becoming increasingly important. Tourism resources have every chance to become part of the national wealth of the countries of this region. In the group of factors determining socio-economic development of the countries in the region are natural resources, the level of production and investment, social infrastructure, management quality, international competitiveness, etc. The need for the regional development management system is conditioned by regionalization processes inherent to the current economic situation, oriented to ensuring positive national economic dynamics and maximum using the region’s potential. The studying problem of regional development makes it possible to justify, as one of the directions of its solution, the use of cluster technologies oriented to those branches of the economy that can become a vector of regional development. According to experts, the tourism industry is one of the most profitable sectors of the economy of the region. This industry covers numerous sectors of the economy and various links between them. The main tourist routes in the present time, covering many objects of the Great Silk Road, do not offer a more detailed study of the local historical, architectural and archaeological heritage. The lack of infrastructure facilities is the reason for this. This fact forces us to search solutions, which will provide a comfortable environment for both tourists and researchers. At present, the Central Asian countries occupy a very modest place in the world market of tourist services. According to many experts, the demand for sanatorium, tourist and excursion services has decreased due to the transition period, and the existing network of tourist institutions, boarding houses, rest homes needs reconstruction. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, tourism in the Central Asian republics began to develop independently, without common approaches and concepts. In many respects this is determined by the fact that the new states have chosen their own models of socio-economic development, different from each other. The different level of political freedoms, economic development features determine the current state of the tourism industry in various countries of Central Asia. The perspective of tourism development in this region is quite difficult, but an interesting task, necessary for familiarizing humanity with the most interesting culture of peoples inhabiting Central Asia and developing the economies of countries.

scholarly journals ROADS OF CENTRAL ASIA. THE NEW INTERNATIONAL TRANSIT PROJECTS

2020 ◽  
pp. 51-60
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Borisova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Western China ◽  
State Budget ◽  
Mountain Ranges ◽  
Relevant Today ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
International Transport ◽  
Political Background ◽  
Central Asian Republics

The development of international trade implies the use of the territory of Central Asia as a transit zone, through which the routes China–Europe, China – the middle East should be laid. The existing communication capabilities are not enough, so new directions are being developed (Railways “China–Kazakhstan – Turkmenistan–Iran”, “Turkmenistan– Afghanistan–Tajikistan”, ”China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan”; multimodal transit corridors” Lazurit”,” TRANS – Caspian international transport route”; such highways as “Western China– Western Europe”). However, paved roads, both rail and road, do not always meet expectations in terms of the volume of cargo passing through them (projects “China – Kazakhstan – Turkmenistan – Iran” and the Lapis lazuli corridor). Their loading is delayed “until better times” either due to the unstable political background, or due to the lack of necessary commodity flows in both directions. In some cases, there is a lack of political will to make appropriate decisions. Finished projects are unprofitable. None of the international transit projects announced or even completed over the past 20 years through the Central Asian republics has been fully operational. Meanwhile, international transit allows not only to fill the state budget, but also to solve issues of internal connectivity of territories. This task is most relevant today for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which have become hostages of their own geography, with localities separated by impassable mountain ranges.

scholarly journals Some Information About The History Of The Formation Of Historical-Geographical Views About Central Asia In Europe

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
pp. 250-253
Author(s):  
A.A.Erkuziev
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Silk Road ◽  
The Political ◽  
Cultural Relations ◽  
Trade Routes ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
History Of ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
Political Economic

Central Asia has played an important role in the political, economic and cultural relations of different nations and countries since ancient times as one of the centers of the world civilization. The Great Silk Road, which passed through this region, brought together the countries on the trade routes, the peoples living in them, and served to spread information about their traditions, lifestyles, location, historical events. These data, in turn, brought different peoples closer and served as the basis for the establishment of mutual economic and cultural relationships between them. One of the important scientific issues here is the study of the spread of information about the Central Asian region, where most of the Great Silk Road passed, to Western Europe through other countries.

scholarly journals DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA-KAZAKHSTAN AND CHINA-UZBEKISTAN TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS (2013-2020): A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

2021 ◽  
pp. 40-46
Author(s):  
Mengkewuliji Mengkewuliji
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Western China ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
One Belt One Road ◽  
Manufactured Products ◽  
Energy Independence ◽  
The One ◽  
Transit Routes

This paper explores the development of trade and economic relations between China and Kazakhstan, and China and Uzbekistan since the introduction of the "One Belt – One Road" initiative in 2013 until the economic slowdown in 2020. The author also compares the different ways in which China–Kazakhstan and China–Uzbekistan trade and economic relations were developed. The research reveals a significant role of the "One Belt – One Road" initiative in the rapid growth of bilateral cooperation between China and Kazakhstan, and China and Uzbekistan in the spheres of trade, infrastructure development, finance and energy. Kazakhstan and China put the emphasis on infrastructure development and trade, including the manufactured products. Uzbekistan and China focused on trade in energy resources. China's investment in both Central Asian countries grew equally, however Kazakhstan received more Chinese loans than Uzbekistan. China provided loans to both countries only on condition of their cooperation with Chinese companies operating in Central Asia. New transit routes were built within the framework of the "One Belt – One Road" initiative. China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan implemented joint highways projects such as the Kabul and Trans-Caspian corridors. While China and Kazakhstan developed continental infrastructure projects such as "Western China-Western Europe", China and Uzbekistan focused more on local programs such as the construction of the Kamchik tunnel. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan pursued different energy policies toward China. Kazakhstan was developing equal cooperation with China and Russia in energy sphere. Uzbekistan tried to pursue a policy of energy independence, and when it failed, it began to work more closely with China. Other significant differences between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan included their positions regarding the financial structures of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. During discussion of the SCO Development Bank project, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan supported Chinese and Russian projects respectively.

scholarly journals Cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union and the Silk Road Economic Belt: Benefits, Risks, Achievements

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. G. Garbuzarova
Keyword(s):  
World Order ◽  
The United States ◽  
Silk Road ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Member States ◽  
Western Model ◽  
Eurasian Economic Union ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Silk Road Economic Belt ◽  
Economic Union

The article is devoted to the advantages, risks and achievements of cooperation between the Russian integration project “Eurasian Economic Union” (EAEU) and the Chinese initiative “Silk Road Economic Belt” (SREB). The Eurasian space has a strategic importance for Russia and China, so the political leaders of these global powers decided to join together the EAEU and the SREB for the development, strengthening and expansion of cooperation in the field of economy. On the one hand, the interaction of the two integration projects opens wide opportunities for all participants: economic growth, technological modernization, creation of transport and logistics infrastructure. Russia and China share a common vision of the future foundations of the New World Order. In contrast to the Western model of the organization of international relations on the principle of unipolarity, Russia and China defend the model of a polycentric world order. On the other hand, there are problems that can cause competition between Russia and China. The problems of industrialization of the EAEU member-states, the possible competition between Russian and Chinese goods in the Eurasian market as well as in the field of industrial technology may appear. At the same time, it is important to understand that the interests of Russia and China largely coincide rather than diverge. The interests of both states are not only economic in nature but also related to Eurasian security issues. The first beneficial projects having been signed within the cooperation between EAEU and SREB aim at the development of transport infrastructure and financial assistance to the member-states. Considering the reverent attitude of the post-soviet states to national sovereignty the Chinese project looks the most attractive due to the absence of a supranational body. However, this fact does not exclude the possibility of getting the Central Asian states into excessive financial dependence on China. Meanwhile, the EAEU will help to balance China’s economic and political relations with the Central Asian states.In the context of globalization the cooperation between the EAEU and the SREB could be the first step towards the creation of major international economic structure. Cooperation between the Russian and Chinese projects has enormous potential for effective mutually beneficial development and opens wide opportunities for the participating states. The cooperation of the two projects will strengthen the geopolitical position of Russia and China in Eurasia as opposed to the geopolitical activity of the United States.

Railway's Impacts on Modal Shift Potential Towards Intermodal Transportation: A Case Study in Lao PDR.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-123
Author(s):  
Klairung Ponanan ◽  
Wachira Wichitphongsa
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Lao Pdr ◽  
Travel Behaviour ◽  
Silk Road ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Modal Shift ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Silk Road Economic Belt ◽  
The Silk Road

Chinese government has developed transport infrastructure rapidly under Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) strategy. The BRI strategy is China's economic development strategies for expanding trade and cultural influence towards countries in western and eastern regions, including ASEAN. The development of BRI strategy is consists of two main components i.e., (i) the Silk Road Economic Belt, follows the historical overland Silk Road through Central Asia, Iran, Turkey and eventually to Europe, and (ii) the Maritime Silk Road, originates in the South China Sea, passing through the Malacca Strait, the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea and extending into the Mediterranean Sea (Chris & Elizabeth, 2015). Due to the BRI strategy, more than 6000 trains made the journey from China to Europe in 2018, which is an increase of 72% compared to 2017. China has sent more than 11,000 freight trains to Europe and back since the BRI strategy was announced in 2013. Railway networks have been constructed under the BRI strategy for connecting 48 Chinese cities with 42 cities in Europe through Asia. There are many railway infrastructures under the BRI strategy. The China – Laos railway (Vientiane–Boten railway) is one of project under the Silk Road Economic Belt that has been developed for serving as a key infrastructure for the economic corridor between the two countries. In nearly future, this railway will be helped to boost trade, investment and tourism for Lao PDR. and south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The Vientiane–Boten railway, especially transportation time will attract both travelers and Logistics Service Providers (LSP), which can be reduced time of journey compared with road mode. In this paper, modal shift potential of travelers and freight on Kunming-Bangkok Highway (R3A), AH2, AH8, AH9, AH10, AH12, AH13, and AH18 have been investigated by considering behavioral aspects of long distance travel. Keywords: Mode Split Model, Modal Shift, Vientiane–Boten railway, Travel Behaviour

scholarly journals Challenges and Opportunities in Early Stage Planning of Transport Infrastructure Projects: Environmental Aspects in the Strategic Choice of Measures Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1295
Author(s):  
Sofia Eckersten ◽  
Berit Balfors ◽  
Ulrika Gunnarsson-Östling
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Strategic Choice ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Environmental Aspects ◽  
Transport Planning

The Strategic Choice of Measures (SCM) approach aims to integrate different perspectives and identify measures to adapt new infrastructure projects to their local context at an early stage of Swedish transport planning. SCM is a loosely structured framework for collaboration between actors from, e.g., municipalities and the Swedish Transport Administration, in order to facilitate the coordination of transport planning and land use planning. This paper aims to explore the consideration of environmental aspects in early-stage transport planning by analyzing the SCM approach. An explorative research approach is applied based on literature studies, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group interview. The result shows that in the SCM process, environmental aspects such as noise and air pollution generated by road traffic in urban areas, engage the actors, whereas aspects related to landscape and water were perceived as poorly addressed and received less attention. The consideration of environmental aspects in the SCM process is affected by the local and national authorities’ different interests and the competences involved. To consolidate environmental aspects in early transport planning, these aspects need to be explicitly addressed in the SCM guidelines and the link between the SCM and preceding and following planning stages needs to be strengthened.

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