Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov, inaugurated a railway tunnel in Uzbekstan on 20 June. The tunnel is a major project of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The two leaders watched the opening of the 19 kilometer-long tunnel via video link. It is part of a railway line connecting capital city Tashkent and the eastern city of Namangan. Built by the China Railway Tunnel Group, the tunnel goes through Qurama Mountains and is the longest of its kind in Central Asia.
Xi said land transport connectivity is an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative and a key area in China-Uzbekistan cooperation.
Karimov said the project greatly benefits the Uzbek people and expressed gratitude for China’s assistance.
The picture shows the train made by CRRC is passing through the Qamchiq tunnel.
