Yunis Sharifli
Yunis Sharifli is Non-Resident Fellow at the China Global South Project for Central Asia. He is a foreign policy analyst specializing in China’s engagement with Central Asia and the South Caucasus, with a focus on energy and connectivity. He previously served as a research fellow at the Central Asia Barometer and the Caucasian Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies.
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Articles by Yunis Sharifli
Azerbaijan and People’s Republic of China Strengthen Renewable Energy Partnership
Executive Summary: Azerbaijan and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) signed a series of new agreements on renewable energy cooperation, including solar and wind, reinforcing mutual goals of carbon reduction
Kazakhstan and People’s Republic of China Collaborate in Critical Minerals Sector
Executive Summary: Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a strategic hub for critical minerals, leveraging its vast reserves of copper, zinc, lead, and nickel to attract foreign investment and diversify economic
Beijing Revives China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway
Executive Summary: Beijing, Bishkek, and Tashkent signed a joint agreement in June to finance and begin constructing the oft-discussed China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway by October 2024. After many years of discussion, China
Increased Reliance on Russia and Commitments to China Driving Uzbekistan’s Gas Imports
Executive Summary: Uzbekistan has been dealing with severe energy shortages over the past few years due to issues in gas production and a transition to using more imported gas for
Growing Russian-Iranian Partnership Along the North-South Corridor
In a recent development, on May 17, Russia and Iran officially signed an agreement for the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway (Kremlin.ru, May 17). This railway project holds immense significance
China’s Growing Economic Power in Uzbekistan
Against the backdrop of the Russo-Ukrainian war and fluctuating relations between Kazakhstan and Russia, Uzbekistan is gaining strategic importance for China as a potential stable emerging market in Central Asia.
Uzbekistan: An Aspiring Transport Hub for Central Asia
Throughout the Russo-Ukrainian war and a period of tense relations between Russia and Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan has followed a proactive track of transport diplomacy to strengthen its geopolitical and geo-economic position
Optimization Efforts to Improve Transit Through the Critical Middle Corridor
The Russian-Ukrainian war and Western sanctions against Moscow have limited the effectiveness of Russia as a transit country, especially in land-based trade relations between the European Union and China. In
Middle Corridor: Potential Alternative to Russian Railways?
The Russo-Ukrainian war has cast doubt on the sustainability of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative’s (BRI) “Northern Corridor” because of mounting Western sanctions on this overland route’s key links—Russia