Wu Wei

(Vice General-Manager, Tebian Electric Apparatus Stock Co., Ltd.)

Author

Wu Wei, Han ethnicity, is a senior economist and engineer. She now serves as Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager at Tebian Electric Apparatus Stock Co., Ltd. (TBEA), in charge of the company's large-scale projects. Wu is also Guest Professor at the Party School of Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, part-time Vice Chairwoman of the Women's Federation of Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Member of the Standing Committee of Changji City CPPCC and Tutor for postgraduate students at Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics.

Abstract

About 2,100 years ago, Zhang Qian, a diplomat from China's Han Dynasty (206B.C.-220A.D.) was dispatched to Central Asia, opening the Silk Road connecting China and Central Asian countries and ultimately linking Asia with Europe. Going from east to west, the road, featuring a spirit of unity, mutual trust, equality and mutual development, has become an important bond between China and Central Asian countries. Since China's opening-up and reform introduced some thirty years ago, with the rapid growth of China's energy industry, China's economy has been developing at a fast pace. China has a substantial power supplies with the largest capacity in the world, while Central Asia has great demand for electricity to improve people's livelihood and develop their national economies. This paper analyzes the methods to continue the functionality of the ancient Silk Road and build an electric Silk Road between China and Central Asia. Based on the current situations of energy industries both in China and Central Asian countries, the paper outlines the concept of the China-Central Asia power network. It also pinpoints existing problems restricting the economic development of the Central Asian region, such as, shortages of electric techniques, professionals, and funds, and proposes that Xinjiang's regional government should improve the policies concerning funds, professional training and platform construction for the power development in Central Asia. To build a China-Central Asia electric Silk Road will not only realize energy-based relationships and trust between China and Central Asian countries but also promote China's energy industry's international operations through strengthening the economic and political bonds between China and Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, for the purpose of mutual prosperity.