A thermal power plant is being constructed on a 25-hectare plot of land in the Sirdaryo district of Uzbekistan by hundreds of laborers from China, Uzbekistan, and other Asian nations, who are toiling in the sweltering heat. The project, which is anticipated to be finished by the end of next year, will contribute around 8% of Uzbekistan's installed power generation capacity, producing up to 10 billion kilowatt hours of energy annually and serving the needs of close to 1 million people.

"This project is of milestone significance for the energy industry in Uzbekistan and is another landmark project under the Belt and Road Initiative," said Guo Tianyu, project manager of China Energy Co.'s Central Asian division.

The rise of the construction industry, he said, has contributed to Uzbekistan's economic prosperity, which has increased energy consumption and made the country's power shortfall worse. According to Guo, the construction of the thermal power plant, which calls for the use of contemporary steam gas turbines, has given locals more than 1,000 work prospects.

As part of the BRI, China and the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan have established a number of cooperative initiatives. Numerous analysts claim that early outcomes of China and the five countries' collaboration on the BRI have improved these countries' infrastructure, increased commerce, and improved public welfare.

According to her, the BRI has supported the exports of Central Asian nations, balanced the expansion of their industries, and provided them with prospects for industrial upgradation as well as the establishment of green and digital economies.


President Xi Jinping originally floated the idea of the Silk Road Economic Belt, which later evolved into the BRI, while on a visit to Kazakhstan in 2013. The five Central Asian countries were among the first countries to join the project.


China and the five countries established diplomatic ties 30 years ago this year, and since then, commerce between the two sides has increased significantly, from $460 million in 1992 to $50 billion in 2017.

The General Administration of Customs reports that commerce between China and Kazakhstan increased by 19.3 percent in the first seven months of this year. Accordingly, commerce increased in Kyrgyzstan by 150.4 percent, Tajikistan by 85.5 percent, Turkmenistan by 53.4 percent, and Uzbekistan by 32.5 percent.