| Location: | Bishkek - Balykchy highway |
| Sector: | Rail and Road Connectivity |
| Total cost: | $ 38.4 mln |
| Chinese partner: | Exim Bank of China
China Road and Bridge Corporation |
| Kyrgyzstani partner: | Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Transport and Roads |
| Construction start: | 2013 |
| Putting into commission: | 2016 |
The Export-Import Bank of China is a state-owned policy bank with the status of an independent legal entity. EXIM Bank plays a crucial role in promoting steady economic growth and structural adjustment, supporting foreign trade, and implementing the “going global” strategy. The Bank has been active in various projects in Kyrgyzstan, often linked to BRI. In May 2018, the Kyrgyz debt to this bank amounted to $ 1.5 billion, which should be paid back in a period of 5 years. [1]
China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) is one of the four large state-owned companies in China that earliest entered into the international engineering contracting market. CRBC mainly undertakes contracting, investment, development and operation projects such as road, bridge, port, railway, airport, tunnel, real estate and industrial parks. Guided by the “Go Global” and “Belt and Road” initiative of China has seized the opportunity for CRBC to expand business and raise core competitiveness. China Road and Bridge Corporation entered the market of Kyrgyzstan in 2001 and formally established the CRBC Kyrgyzstani Office in 2002. Since then, it has undertaken over 20 projects with an accumulating distance of 658 km. [2]
This project provides for the rehabilitation of the section from kms 147–171 of the Bishkek–Balykchy highway, a part of the larger Bishkek-Naryn-Torugart transport corridor. The USD 38 million loan for rehabilitation was given by the Export-Import Bank of China. [3] A two-layer asphalt–concrete covering and new pipes were laid throughout, and five bridges were repaired and extended. This road connects the Issyk-Kul and Naryn regions with the capital of Kyrgyzstan.