It is better through China: Uzbekistan and Pakistan has found an alternative to the Afghan route

Uzbekistan and Pakistan has found an alternative route through Afghanistan. This is reported by the "Asian Express".

The states have reached an agreement on expanding cooperation in the field of transit transportation, officially integrating the route through China into the bilateral trade system.

During the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan to Islamabad, it is planned to sign a protocol that will open the Chinese direction as a transport corridor for cargo transportation between the two countries.

The new logistics scheme provides for the transportation of goods through the Pakistani dry port of Sost on the border with China. Further, the goods will be transported through the western regions of China and then sent to the countries of Central Asia.

There will be a new opportunity for Pakistan to supply to the region, including Uzbekistan. Tashkent, in turn, will maintain stable transport links with Pakistani ports.

The decision is primarily due to changes in the field of regional security. Previously, the shortest and most cost-effective route was considered to be the route through Afghanistan, which was also considered as the basis for the future railway connecting Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, after a sharp deterioration in relations between Islamabad and As well as the closure of the Torkham and Chaman border crossings in October 2025, this transport corridor has actually lost its functionality.

The parties discussed the possibility of using routes through Iran, but the deterioration of the military-political situation around this country has reduced the attractiveness of this option.

As a result, despite its long length and higher transportation costs, the Chinese route turned out to be the most reliable and predictable option.

Tashkent and Islamabad expect that the opening of the Chinese route will improve logistics, reduce dependence on unstable routes and ensure stable supplies of goods even in regional crises. This step also increases the importance of China as an important transport hub connecting Central and South Asia.

In 2025, the volume of trade between Uzbekistan and Pakistan amounted to $445.9 million. Of this amount, Pakistan exported goods worth 120.9 million, and Uzbekistan imported 325 million. Pakistan ranks second among Uzbekistan's trading partners in South Asia.

The change of the main route to Chinese indicates rapid changes in the transport system of the region. If until recently the Afghan direction was considered a priority, now the countries of Central and South Asia are actively reorienting their logistics chains to China, which is increasingly becoming a key element of the stability of regional transport links.