Ready for an Asia-wide adventure? 🌏 The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), born in 2001 under the ‘Shanghai Spirit’—that’s mutual trust, equality, and shared growth—has grown from just five founding members to ten full members, plus two observers and 14 dialogue partners. Together, they now represent almost half the world’s population and a quarter of global GDP.
Connectivity is the name of the game. Thanks to new highways, pipelines, and railways, trade is zooming ahead. In 2024, the China–Europe Railway Express logged a record 19,000 trips—a 10.7% jump from last year! 🚄💥
One star player is the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan (CKU) International Highway. Since 2018, it’s been linking the Tarim Basin in the Chinese mainland’s Xinjiang region with Central Asia’s Amu Darya basin. Freight costs have dropped by $300–500 per ton, making trade faster and cheaper. Between 2018 and 2024, China’s trade volume with Uzbekistan leapt from $6.26 billion to $13.78 billion, and with Kyrgyzstan from $2 billion to $22.71 billion.
What’s next? The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway, launched in December 2024, is now under construction. Once done, this rail corridor will shrink distances, slash logistics costs, and level up regional cooperation like never before. 🚆✨
From superhighways to supercharged trains, the SCO’s infrastructure boom is more than concrete and steel—it’s about people getting jobs, businesses growing, and Asia stepping into the fast lane toward a connected future. Ready to ride along? 🌟
Reference(s):
Strengthen regional connectivity within the SCO to unlock the future
cgtn.com
