While Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, hosted leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states for the annual SCO Summit, Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, welcomed nearly 100 young engineers from China and Central Asian nations at the 2026 China-Central Asia Young Engineers Exchange Event. Running parallel to official governmental dialogues, participants believed such people-to-people exchanges could deepen regional mutual trust, sustain long-standing friendship, and lay a solid foundation for long-term cooperation across the region.

The inaugural China‑Central Asia Young Engineers Exchange Event, initiated by the Chinese Society of Engineers (CSE), took place in Urumqi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in August 2025. This year's event is co‑hosted by the CSE and the Central Asian Education Accreditation Association, and organized by Shihezi University.

Abzhapparov Abdumutalip, President of the Central Asian Association for Accreditation of Education, told the Global Times that this year's event is a natural continuation of the fruitful experience‑sharing dialogue among young engineers from China and Central Asia held in Urumqi in 2025. The inaugural Exchange Event constituted an important step in building professional relationships and establishing a permanent platform for knowledge and experience exchange among young engineers from China and Central Asia.

"Today, we are not limited to exchanging views, but are moving forward to develop practical cooperation. This means forging new professional ties, implementing joint projects and scientific and technical proposals, expanding academic and professional opportunities, as well as sharing experience of modern engineering solutions," he said.

"The main task of the Exchange Event is to strengthen educational cooperation and the training of engineering and professional personnel under the Belt and Road Initiative. We believe that young engineers will serve as an important link between our countries. Their professional knowledge, competence, drive, innovative thinking and readiness for international cooperation will open up new opportunities for the technological and economic development of our regions," he noted.

"The China‑Central Asia Young Engineers Exchange Event is a practical initiative to deliver on the outcomes of the China‑Central Asia Summit and deepen scientific‑technological and people‑to‑people exchanges. It brings together young scientists, young entrepreneurs and young engineers, who communicate and exchange ideas on a shared platform," Xu Shandong, an researcher of Shihezi University, told the Global Times.

Such face‑to‑face interactions among young engineers from various countries offer multiple values. Immersion in diverse cultural contexts enables them to experience cultural exchanges and integration firsthand, sparking new inspirations in cultural thinking and scientific‑technological innovation. Most importantly, such in‑person dialogues help build non‑institutional trust, laying a solid foundation for sustained and in‑depth cooperation, Xu said.

At present, China‑Central Asia cooperation is evolving from project‑driven progress toward institutional alignment. Young engineers, with agile minds and a pioneering spirit, are ready to take on innovative and exploratory cooperation tasks. More than mere implementers of technical solutions, they integrate technical standards, local management concepts and professional cultures, making them a pivotal force for delivering practical cooperation, according to Gong Yue, an associate researcher of East China University of Science and Technology.

Exchanges foster friendship and spark cooperative ideas built on professional recognition. They help mitigate potential cultural frictions and communication costs down the line, boosting overall cooperation efficiency. Such accumulated people‑to‑people bonds and mutual trust constitute the most tangible and vivid micro‑foundation for building a China‑Central Asia community with a shared future, Gong told the Global Times.

Burkitbayev Mukhambetkali Myrzabayevich, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, noted that young scientists and engineers generally receive high-level STEM training, possess strong computer literacy, actively adopt artificial-intelligence tools, and boast advanced digital capabilities.

"Young engineers with such backgrounds can reach consensus with colleagues from both sides more quickly, and are more receptive to new knowledge and competencies generated through youth-talent exchanges. Furthermore, they are less constrained by language barriers and better equipped to work in multilingual international settings. Therefore, the strengths of these young engineers will undoubtedly help deepen cooperation between China and Central Asian countries," he said.

Ji Chenglong, Executive Project Manager of the Light Rail Project from the China Construction Sixth Engineering Bureau Corp., LTD, illustrated the significance of cooperation and exchanges between Chinese and Central Asian young engineers with vivid examples. The Astana Light Rail Phase I is a landmark Belt and Road project between China and Kazakhstan.

Young engineers are front-line participants in China-Central Asia cooperation, as well as vital connectors for technical exchanges and people-to-people bonds. Take Phase I of the Astana Light Rail project as an example. The team has an average age of 32. Young engineers have played an active role in everything from tackling technical challenges for construction under extreme cold conditions, to organizing cross-border resources and conducting external communication and coordination, Ji told the Global Times.

They bring China's advanced technologies, standards and engineering expertise to Central Asia. Meanwhile, through in-depth engagement in project delivery, they gain thorough insight into local needs and absorb local experience, advancing complementary strengths and mutual progress for both sides. More importantly, the professional recognition, profound friendship and mutual trust forged by young engineers as they jointly solve engineering challenges transcend the lifecycle of any single project. They serve as an important foundation for deepening scientific-technological and people-to-people exchanges and advancing long-term practical cooperation between China and Central Asian countries.

According to Ji, face‑to‑face exchanges among young engineers feature greater affinity and sustainability, making it easier to build long‑term, stable and concrete interpersonal ties. "Our practical experience shows that once young people establish professional recognition and mutual trust, such connections seldom end upon project completion. Instead, they extend into new sectors and give rise to fresh cooperation opportunities."

"Therefore, the value of exchanges for young engineers lies not only in solving current engineering and technical problems together, but also in cultivating a cohort of professional partners who understand, trust and are ready to work with one another for China‑Central Asia cooperation over the next one to two decades. In the long run, interpersonal bonds and deep‑seated trust built through professional collaboration represent outcomes of lasting significance beyond project‑level cooperation, and will underpin the steady and sound growth of China‑Central Asia relations," Ji said.