On the remote, windswept steppes of central Asia where Kazakhstan borders China a new ‘port’ is being built – 2,500 kilometres away from the nearest ocean. The Khorgos Gateway is a massive transport hub, a ‘dry port’ rail terminal designed to process the surging flow of goods from China’s humming factories to eager customers in Asia and Europe.
Nearby is the town of Nurkent, a planned community expected to house an expected flood of 100,000 workers. Construction cranes crowd the skyline, while apartments, schools and municipal buildings rise all around.
