A China-Central Asia freight train bound for Tashkent via Horgos departs from a station in Tianjin Port in North China's Tianjin, May 20, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

According to data provided by the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), China has been ramping up investments in green development and industrial digitalization in Central Asian countries in recent years. 

China's cumulative investment in Central Asia has exceeded $30 billion, China Media Group reported on Tuesday. Currently, the second China-Central Asia Summit is ongoing in Astana, Kazakhstan, from June 16 to 18.

China stands as a major source of investment for Central Asian nations. In recent years, it has significantly accelerated cooperation with Central Asian countries in areas such as 5G, the Internet of Things, and smart city construction. 

And, China has carried out numerous clean energy projects, including wind turbines, solar panels, hydropower generators, and energy storage facilities, actively driving the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries in Central Asia.

China is also a key partner for Central Asian countries in the field of contracted projects. As of April 2025, the total value of contracted projects signed between China and Central Asian countries has reached $120.1 billion, with a completed business turnover of $75.6 billion. 

Chinese companies are playing a vital role in constructing the infrastructure needed for Uzbekistan, focusing on renewable energy capacity build-up. For example, Chinese firms such as Goldwind Science & Technology Co and Envision Energy Co are providing essential equipment to build wind turbines in the country, Laziz Kudratov, Uzbekistan's minister of investment, industry and trade, told the Global Times in an emailed response.

This year alone, more than 20 green energy projects worth more than $9 billion are being implemented with Chinese involvement. Furthermore, 200 Uzbek engineers have undergone technical training at BYD’s production facilities in China, showing how cooperation extends beyond investment into knowledge-sharing and human capital development, Kudratov said.

China's investment in Central Asia not only reflects China's industrial advantages but also focuses on the actual market demands of Central Asian countries. It represents a win-win model with bright prospects, Zhang Hong, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

From the economic perspective, this kind of close cooperation helps promote regional economic integration and regional stability. It helps promote the coordinated development of China's western region and Central Asian countries, achieving win-win results, Zhang said.

To shore up their trade and investment ties, China has taken significant steps in institutional cooperation. New investment agreements have been successfully concluded with Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, while negotiations on service trade and investment agreements with Kyrgyzstan have been launched, according to China Media Group.

China's total trade with the five Central Asian countries grew by 10.4 percent year-on-year in the first five months of this year to reach 286.42 billion yuan, setting a record high for the period, according to data released by China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Sunday.

Global Times