Beijing Is Building a High-Speed Transport Corridor Bypassing the kremlin

While the kremlin wages war against Ukraine and the West is strangling russia with sanctions, Beijing is quietly doing what hurts moscow the most: erasing it from its own trade map. China is ramping up investment in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route – a corridor connecting the country to Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, completely bypassing russia and belarus.

Beijing’s reasoning is simple: traditional logistics routes through russia have turned into a minefield due to the war in Ukraine, while the situation in the Middle East has added risks to southern routes as well. Keeping supply chains dependent on moscow has become too dangerous for China.

The route, approximately 4,750 kilometers long, offers figures that render the old dependence on russia economically pointless. Cargo delivery takes 15–18 days – three times faster than sea transport between China and Europe, which typically takes 45–60 days.

Beijing’s investment is far from symbolic. Chinese state-owned companies have already invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the corridor’s infrastructure. In particular, Beijing has provided about $70 million in grant aid and equipment worth approximately $2 million for the port of Baku, and Chinese companies have participated in the construction of a new seaport in Aktau, Kazakhstan, costing $300 million.

The route combines railways, motorways, and sea crossings across the Caspian Sea. Capacity is still limited, but analysts have no doubt that Beijing has sufficient financial resources and experience to bring the corridor up to full capacity.

The war that russia unleashed against Ukraine, coupled with Western sanctions, has effectively forced China to seek routes that bypass the aggressor nation’s territory. The new route gives Beijing what moscow can no longer provide: diversification, resilience, and independence from foreign geopolitical adventures.

Türkiye is also interested in the development of the Trans-Caspian Corridor. As early as 2015, Ankara and Beijing signed a memorandum to align this initiative with China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. And in early June, a key section of the route – the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway – began operating at full capacity, finally closing the geographical gap in the bypass route around russia.