China has assumed greater financial responsibility for the railway project.

A loan agreement has been signed in Kyrgyzstan to finance the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. The ceremony was attended by Bakyt Torobaev, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry.

The agreement was signed by the joint project company China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway and a syndicate of Chinese banks, including the China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $4.7 billion. Half of the amount, about $2.3 billion, The remaining $2.3 billion will be financed jointly by China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan: 51% by China, 24.5% by Kyrgyzstan and 24.5% by Uzbekistan.

According to Bakyt Torobaev, one of the key objectives of the investment agreement was to ensure the complete financial stability of the project by 20 December 2025.

‘Today, this goal is actually being realised,’ he said, emphasising the project company's readiness to implement the international infrastructure project.

The company's CEO, Zhou Xin, said that the joint structure ensures the effective use of funds and the timely fulfilment of all obligations.

The railway project is considered one of the most complex in terms of engineering. It involves the construction of 50 bridges and 29 tunnels with a total length of 120 km. Thus, about 40% of the entire route will consist of tunnels and bridges. The length of the railway section in Kyrgyzstan exceeds 304 km.

Construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway began on 27 December 2024. The presidents of Kyrgyzstan, China and Uzbekistan took part in the ceremony to mark the start of work, emphasising the strategic importance of the project for the entire region.