The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway, a major project under the Belt and Road Initiative that began construction this year, is expected to facilitate logistics between China and Central Asia, said a logistic provider from Uzbekistan.
Alex Jasur Mavlyanov, CEO of Shanghai CHK International Logistics, has spent the past decade helping to ship heavy equipment from China to Central Asia, with his business growing month by month.
"A lot of infrastructure is being built in central Asia, including Uzbekistan, so, we're trying to take on project logistics more," he said.
In 2018, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway was opened, which allowed Mavlyanov's company to transport in a more convenient way. But trucks also face challenges of unpredictability and delays.
"When the infrastructure, the roads are smooth and everything, it's fine. But unfortunately, when you use land transportation, it's seasonal. So for example, during winter time, there's heavy snow in central Asia, in the desert and there's a lot of unpredictability," he said.
With China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway now under construction, Mavlyanov has high hopes for faster, more reliable shipping in the future.
"As a railway, it provides one thing definitely — the stability. It doesn't really matter, there's snow or rain. It doesn't stop, it just goes from A to B without any problems," he said.
The construction of the railway will not only boost trade between China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. It will also facilitate cargo transport to the other three Central Asian countries.
In 2024, China's trade with Central Asian nations reached some 94.8 billion US dollars, with large amounts of cargo shipped every day between the two sides.
Though the railway is expected to be completed in six years, Magliano's long-term plan of staying in China won't make the waiting time that difficult.
"I'm seeing my future here for the next at least 10, 15, 20 years and maybe we will make the company into Forbes, make it public very soon. That's the plan," he said.
China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway expected to facilitate regional logistics
Displaced farming families are returning to their homeland in Gaza City, restoring fields and growing food again, though challenges like poor farming conditions and lack of supplies remain.
In parts of Gaza, farmland damaged during Israel's war on the enclave is slowly coming back to life.
Fresh vegetables are being harvested again from farmland in Gaza City's Al-Zaitoun neighborhood.
For the Al-Dahdouh family, these crops mark the return of their land to life.
The challenges have been immense. Nearly three years of war have left much of Gaza's farmland damaged or bulldozed, making the return to farming a difficult task for families trying to start again.
"When we returned after being displaced, the land was covered with piles of rubble and debris and was difficult to access. Everyone in the family worked together to rehabilitate it for farming. Thankfully, we were finally able to cultivate it again," said Wajiha Al-Dahdouh, a Palestinian farmer.
Rebuilding livelihoods and restoring a sense of normal life remains difficult after the three years of war, repeated displacement and the loss of income for many families.
"We can't afford to hire workers to help us with farming because of the high costs. We also face serious difficulties securing water for irrigation and pesticides. It has been a huge burden on us," said Iman Al-Dahdouh, another Palestinian farmer.
The Al-Dahdouh family is among around 350 farming families supported by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with Relief Housing Units and farming assistance.
Around 1,100 families are expected to benefit in total.
"For the last three years, it has been total destruction, and people have had to leave their homelands. The families have been displaced multiple times to various locations in the midland south area of the Gaza Strip. What you see here now is life returning to the neighborhood, and UNDP supports these families through providing dignified shelters and housing solutions through what we call relief housing units," said Margunn Indreboe Alshaikh, deputy special representative of UNDP Palestine.
The initiative is part of UNDP's Neighbourhood Approach, combining housing with basic services and livelihood support.
Displaced farmers arrive back in Gaza amid challenges
