Weekly News Roundup: Dispatches from the Silk Road Economic Belt

China Steps Up to Broker Peace in Afghan-Pakistan Conflict

China hosted top diplomats from Afghanistan and Pakistan on Tuesday in a bid to mediate a long-simmering conflict between the neighboring countries. (Bloomberg)

China, Pakistan to look at including Afghanistan in $76 billion economic corridor

China and Pakistan will look at extending their US$57 billion (S$76.6 billion) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday (Dec 26). This will be part of China's ambitious Belt and Road plan linking China with Asia, Europe and beyond. (reuters)

Is China trying to play mediator in Central Asia with offer to include Afghanistan in trade plan?
Beijing also keen to boost anti-terrorism exchanges with Kabul to ensure security across the region, military chief says. “If the CPEC links up to Afghanistan, it can ultimately be a gateway to Iran and the Indian Ocean.” (scmp)

Over 6,200 train trips made between China, Europe in 6 years

Freight trains made a total of 6,235 trips on 57 routes since the China-Europe freight train services began in 2011.The cross-border rail network has bridged 35 Chinese cities with 34 European cities in 12 countries over the past six years.In 2017, more than 3,270 journeys have been made between cities in the two continents, according to the transport coordinating committee of China-Europe trains Tuesday. (Xinhua)

China testing freight rail transportation through Turkmenistan to Iran
A freight container train will be sent from China’s Yinchuan city Dec. 29 along the route through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Iran, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a message Dec. 29.
On Dec. 30, another freight container train will be sent along the same route from the north-western Chinese city of Xi’an in Shaanxi province. (Trend)

China's new 'Silk Road' goes straight through the Caucasus
With its new Silk Road mega-project, China is building on old traditions. But it's hard-core geostrategic interests and not nostalgia which is guiding Beijing. Miodrag Soric reports from Tbilisi, Georgia. (DW)

Can a China-Moldova free-trade deal give Beijing a foothold in eastern Europe?

China has agreed to begin talks on the establishment of a free-trade deal with the former Soviet state of Moldova, as the world’s most populous nation continues to seek to boost its influence in Russia’s backyard. (Scmp)

China Recreates the Silk Road to Challenge Hollywood
China's 'One Belt, One Road' initiative for industrial projects mirrors the ancient trade route and creates a natural market for Chinese movies. (wsj)

The battle to stop Uygurs fleeing China from joining Islamic State
Moderate Uygurs living in Turkey say they struggle to persuade people fleeing a sweeping security crackdown in Xinjiang to reject recruiters from the militant group (Scmp)

CENTRAL ASIA

First-tier court defends Kyrgyz ex-president collecting multi-million moral compensation from journalist and human rights lawyer
On 19 December, the Oktyabr District Court of Bishkek, the first-tier court, has denied the attempt of Atambayev critics to break the collection of 40 million soms (about $ 574,000) of the compensation for moral damages Narynbek Idinov and Dina Maslova, the founders of Zanoza (now - Kaktus), and Cholpon Djakupova, the human rights lawyer, have to pay to ex-president, reports Kaktus news agency. (Fergana News)

America is important for Kyrgyzstan’s foreign policy
Kyrgyz Minister of Foreign Affairs, Erlan Abdydaev met with representatives of national and foreign media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan. At the meeting, Minister Erlan Abdyldaev spoke about whether a new agreement on cooperation with the United States and future prospects for bilateral cooperation will be signed, Kabar reports."America is the most important direction in Kyrgyzstan’s foreign policy and we understand the role and importance of the United States in the modern global world," the Minister said. (Azernews)

Kyrgyz president: ISIS ideology spreading into Central Asia

Kyrgyzstan's President Sooronbai Zheenbekov has warned about a threat of increasing expansion of the ISIS terrorist organization's ideology in Central Asian countries."The ideology of Islamic State and other such radical groups is increasingly spreading in Central Asia, with active propaganda and recruiting of citizens of our states," he said at an informal meeting of the CIS leaders. (Vestnik)