With the US looking elsewhere, Uzbekistan and China quietly cement a regional alliance 

While the United States, Russia, and Europe simultaneously seek to defuse (or worsen) the crises in Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, Israel/Gaza, the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea/Yemen, Uzbekistan and China have quietly strengthened their partnership.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev State visit He will travel to China from January 23rd to 25th and visit Beijing and Shenzhen. During her stay, she met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.

The talks between the Uzbekistan and Chinese delegations resulted in a number of announcements and agreements, but perhaps the most notable was the upgrading of Uzbekistan-China relations to bilateral relations. An “all-weather” comprehensive strategic partnership. This is significant because Pakistan, a keystone of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is the only country in the region so designated. (CPEC is the largest single component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.)

The Chinese government has thus signaled its expectations for Central Asia, and the two “all-weather” partnerships see Afghanistan as a potential source of natural resources (and instability) and It will be located on both sides of Afghanistan, which is a transit corridor between the two countries.

The visit was also significant because President Xi invested something else in the bilateral relationship: time and attention.

This is Mirziyoyev’s second state visit to China, the first being in 2017, and President Xi’s previous state visits to Uzbekistan until 2022. visited I have visited all the republics of Central Asia and have been to Kazakhstan four times and Uzbekistan three times. No US president has ever visited the region. (Mr. Mirziyoyev met with then-US President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., in 2018, and in 2023, President Joe Biden met with the presidents of five Central Asian countries in New York City.)

State visits and one-on-one meetings have attracted the attention of Uzbekistan’s people, who undoubtedly appreciate that the leader of the world’s second-largest country is the leader of Uzbekistan. largest economy, In a sense, I personally invested time in relationships rather than leaving it up to my subordinates.

American interest is waning because the United States no longer needs the region. Logistics support The state of the war with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Although rhetorically supportive of the region; “Stability and sovereignty” The US government doesn’t seem to understand that about nations as well as individuals. Reserves mean freedom, and China offers Uzbekistan an opportunity to make money.

And when it comes to “deliverables,” there were a lot of them.

The second day of the visit was devoted to a joint investment forum in Shenzhen. agreement We work on projects in energy and mining, electrical engineering, machinery manufacturing, infrastructure development, agriculture, education, solar power, wind and hydropower, transport and logistics.

China’s investments in Uzbekistan increased fivefold to $14 billion by the end of 2023, and the number of joint ventures tripled to more than 2,300. Trade volume will reach $14 billion by the end of 2023, and the two countries aim to reach $20 billion in the near future.

The announcements that attracted the most attention concerned the assembly of hybrid and electric vehicles. joint venture With BYD (an electric car company worried about Tesla’s founder) Elon Musk) and UzAuto, which locally manufactures cars with Chevrolet badges. The joint venture will produce 50,000 units per year, with the potential to eventually expand production to 300,000 units per year. BYD also plans to locally procure spare parts, establish an engineering and service center, and establish local assembly of electric buses.

Perhaps the most important announcement China’s call for the job of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Start “as soon as possible”. CKU will bypass Russia and possibly connect with it. intermediate corridor A trade route to Europe would please the US government and help turn Uzbekistan into a transportation center for Central Asia.

The World Road Transport Organization recently announced that: First shipment Electronic goods can now be transported from Shenzhen, China to Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent in seven days “via a new 6,500-kilometre transport corridor through Kyrgyzstan”, compared to 20 days previously.

and Tashkent was recently secured Qatar support 573 kilometers Trans-Afghanistan Railway It connects Pakistan via Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. “Support” likely means “financing,” and Tashkent may choose to pay for the project with a combination of loans from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, supplemented with cash from Doha. do not have. The project also ensures that China is not the only player in local infrastructure development. Saudi Arabia The company is also proceeding with transactions such as power generation and desalinated water production. Demonstrating openness to investors in the Middle East Balancing Uzbekistan Americans should encourage relations between Russia and China, and now Iran and wealthy Arab countries.

Uzbekistan has used its location to successfully serve as a regional facilitator and convener, and there are opportunities to host financial and development institutions as well. Export-Import Bank of China it might open regional office Central Asia’s capital, Tashkent, has a growing ecosystem of experienced local officials and private companies that could attract similar organizations to Uzbekistan.

The US government may be skeptical of any efforts to normalize the Taliban government, but Tashkent cannot afford to do so. The two countries are “eternal neighbors.” The same realistic outlook drove Tashkent’s efforts to open trade and transport links. Iran, giving Iran’s 85 million citizens and access to the wealthy markets of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Uzbekistan may not always be on “our side” and may be difficult for the US side to handle, but it could be a valuable intermediary now that Washington no longer has a platform in the region.

China is not waiting for a green light from Washington. President Xi recently received the credentials of the Taliban ambassador to Beijing, which could prompt Tashkent, Tehran, Moscow and Islamabad to accelerate their efforts to maintain influence in Kabul.

The meeting between Mirziyoyev and Xi is a signal to Central Asia that China has high expectations for business. The region has a severe lack of energy infrastructure, providing project opportunities for Arab investors. And for Western countries, this means that Central Asian countries, led by Uzbekistan, cannot remain silent while the United States and Europe slide from crisis to crisis.

James Durso (@james_durso) is a regular commentator on foreign policy and national security issues. Mr. Durso served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years and also served in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.