The high-quality construction and efficient operation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project will set a valuable example for countries across the region and beyond, said a Kyrgyz political scientist.

The project, officially launched in December 2024, could become one of the most prominent examples of how multilateral cooperation can translate political commitments into tangible economic outcomes, said Kubanychbek Taabaldiev, a professor at Ala-Too International University in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek, in an interview with Xinhua.

"In today's world, countries increasingly talk about the need for connectivity, but what is far more important is demonstrating in practice how such connectivity can work. This is precisely the special value of this project," he said.

Taabaldiev perceives the railway project as fully consistent with the Shanghai Spirit, a cooperation mechanism founded on principles including mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations, and pursuit of common development.

He added that the project could become a practical template for regional cooperation under the China-Central Asia mechanism, and offer a model for other SCO countries and Belt and Road countries.

"I would view this project as a kind of test of a new type of international cooperation," the expert said.

In his opinion, the world needs such success stories, where political trust between states facilitates the implementation of concrete projects, particularly the infrastructure, the development of trade and the creation of new opportunities for people.

According to Taabaldiev, the significance of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway extends well beyond transportation.

"It has the potential to change the economic geography of Central Asia and transform Kyrgyzstan from a country located between major markets into an important link between China, Central Asia, and further on to European and Middle Eastern destinations," he said.

Taabaldiev said this transformation would be particularly important for Kyrgyzstan, as it would enable the country to become directly integrated into a major international railway network. This, he said, would bring both economic and political benefits.

The professor added that industry, agricultural processing, trade, tourism and the service sector could develop along the route, helping unlock the potential of the country's interior and giving new impetus to rural development.

"For Kyrgyzstan, this means new jobs and additional sources of income for the regions through which the railway will pass," Taabaldiev said.