Over the past month, Beijing has stepped up engagement with every country in Central Asia, underscoring the region's growing importance in China's foreign economic strategy.
From late June through late July, the region saw a flurry of high-level meetings, investment agreements, and new policy initiatives. The agenda has expanded well beyond the traditional Belt and Road focus on infrastructure to include the digital economy, artificial intelligence, industrial cooperation, and logistics. While China's engagement with Central Asia was once primarily associated with transport corridors and energy projects, the relationship has become considerably broader in scope.
The month's most significant event was Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's working visit to Shanghai. His talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping resulted in the signing of a Trade and Economic Cooperation Program and a Roadmap for 2027-2030, along with more than 70 commercial agreements worth over $15 billion.
Implementation of these agreements began almost immediately. On July 28, Kazakhstan announced preparations for three major investment projects with China's Xinjiang Sanbao Industrial Group, valued at approximately $2.5 billion. The projects include the construction of two aluminum plants with a combined annual production capacity of 600,000 tons, renewable energy facilities totaling 2.5 GW, and the creation of around 2,000 permanent jobs.
In addition, following a June visit by a delegation from Kazakhstan's Abai Region to China, memorandums worth another $4 billion were signed, while the region also opened an investment office in Urumqi.
The visit also carried a strong political message. Speaking at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), Tokayev proposed launching the Kazakhstan-China Digital Bridge initiative, which he said could serve as a new platform for digital integration between the two countries. "For us, it would be an honor to host the inaugural meeting of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization in Astana.We also propose establishing a regional representative office of the Organization for Central Asia in Kazakhstan," the president said.
Equally significant was another of Tokayev's remarks: "No country should remain just a consumer of AI. Every state must have the opportunity to build its own human capital, digital infrastructure, and institutional capacity."
In effect, Kazakhstan is proposing a shift from conventional investment cooperation toward jointly shaping the region's technological architecture with China.
Economic data suggest that this strategy is already delivering tangible results. According to Kazakhstan's Bureau of National Statistics, China accounted for nearly 20% of the country's total exports in January-May 2026, with exports reaching approximately $6 billion, making China Kazakhstan's largest export market.
A similar trend is evident in Uzbekistan. According to the National Statistics Committee, bilateral trade with China reached $7.7 billion in January-May, making China the country's largest trading partner. Imports of Chinese goods exceeded $5.3 billion, while total bilateral trade increased by more than 53%.
At the same time, work continues on one of the region's most strategically important infrastructure projects - the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. Throughout July, progress on the project was discussed both at the ministerial level and during meetings held alongside the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers in Cholpon-Ata.
During talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov reaffirmed Bishkek's commitment to expanding cooperation with China. "Kyrgyzstan regards China as one of its key partners and remains committed to deepening mutually beneficial cooperation. The country will continue to provide favorable conditions for investors while expecting foreign companies to comply with national legislation, operate transparently, and respect local traditions," he said.
According to Kyrgyzstan's National Statistical Committee, trade with China totaled $2.09 billion in January-May 2026, accounting for 33.4% of the country's total foreign trade and making China its largest trading partner. Imports from China reached $2.06 billion, while Kyrgyz exports to China remained modest at $32.9 million. During the talks, both sides also emphasized the need to deepen cooperation in agriculture, energy, mineral resources, as well as emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and the digital economy.
Tajikistan has also maintained steady momentum in its cooperation with China. According to the Agency on Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, bilateral trade reached $1.4 billion during the first five months of 2026, including exports worth $359 million and imports totaling $1.1 billion. In July, Dushanbe held a series of meetings with the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) focused on infrastructure, scientific cooperation, and waste management. At the same time, the two countries intensified cooperation in the energy sector. On July 24, Tajikistan's Ministry of Energy and Water Resources and China Gezhouba Group International Engineering discussed the implementation of the 160-MW Ayni hydropower plant and the 100-MW Yavan hydropower plant in the Zarafshan River basin. Three days later, similar talks were held with China Energy Overseas Investment, focusing on the construction of a 200-MW solar power plant in northern Tajikistan. Meanwhile, Dushanbe and China's Guangdong Province continue discussions on establishing an industrial park in Tajikistan's Sughd Region, reflecting expanding cooperation across manufacturing, infrastructure, and energy.
Turkmenistan, which has traditionally focused its relationship with China on the energy sector, remains one of Beijing's most important economic partners in Central Asia. According to China's General Administration of Customs, bilateral trade reached $2.2 billion in the first quarter of 2026 and exceeded $3 billion in January-April. Turkmenistan continues to maintain a strong trade surplus - the only Central Asian country to do so on a sustained basis - thanks to exports of natural gas, which remain the cornerstone of the energy partnership between Ashgabat and Beijing. In April 2026, Turkmengas and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) signed an agreement to implement the fourth phase of development at the Galkynysh gas field. The project, valued at approximately $5.1 billion, includes facilities to process an additional 10 billion cubic meters of marketable natural gas annually, as well as the drilling of new wells. The work is being financed by the Turkmen side, and the fourth phase is regarded as an important step toward increasing gas exports to China to the target level of 65 billion cubic meters per year.
The past month has demonstrated that China is steadily taking its relations with Central Asia to a new level. While energy and transport infrastructure once formed the backbone of cooperation, they are now being complemented by the digital economy, artificial intelligence, industrial localization, and joint technology development. This transformation has the potential to reshape the region's role in the global economy. Central Asia is emerging not only as a transit bridge between East and West but also as a growing center for manufacturing, logistics, and innovation. For China, this means a more resilient network of economic partners along its western frontier. For the countries of Central Asia, it creates new opportunities to diversify their economies and attract long-term investment.
