This includes the construction of a new river port in Tugyl on Lake Zaysan, the modernization of existing berths, the opening of the Urlitobe river crossing point on the border with Russia, and the creation of logistics and multimodal hubs. The rapid growth of overland trans-Eurasian trade and transport expansion in Central Asia echoes Mackinder’s predictions of the heartland being “covered with a network of railways” and the birth of “a vast economic world.” This combined with the development of the Ob-Irtysh River corridor reveals that it may be just a matter of time until the heartland gains an “oceanic frontage” and all the benefits which derive from nautical commerce – a facet which Mackinder theorized would further advantage the heartland. With Central Asia and the Arctic residing within the national security interests of both nations, Sino-Russian collaboration to enable riverine connectivity between the Middle Corridor and the NSR could serve to increase the economic power and influence of Moscow and Beijing over Eurasia.
Author: Maximilien Hachiya, Paul Audoin, Ulysse Oliveira Baptista, Real Clear Wire
Published at: 2025-09-20 21:05:08
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