Chinese President Xi Jinping will join leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan at the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana this week, signaling renewed momentum for regional collaboration. The event builds on progress made since the inaugural 2023 summit, which established a framework for cooperation across security, trade, and infrastructure development.
"This summit represents a critical step in transforming strategic consensus into tangible benefits," said Cui Zheng, a Central Asian affairs expert at Liaoning University. "From energy pipelines to transcontinental railways, our partnership is reshaping Eurasia's economic geography."
From Blueprint to Reality
The US$94.8 billion trade volume between China and Central Asian nations in 2024 – up 6% year-on-year – underscores growing economic interdependence. Key projects advancing include:
The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, now in construction phase
Kazakhstan's Shymkent Oil Refinery expansion
Uzbekistan's 1,500 MW Syrdarya power plant
Energy cooperation remains a cornerstone, with the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline delivering 430 billion cubic meters of Turkmen natural gas since 2009 – equivalent to China's annual consumption.
New Frontiers in Collaboration
Emerging sectors like green energy and agricultural processing are attracting increased Chinese investment. The Belt and Road Initiative continues driving infrastructure development, with 78% of Central Asia's major transport projects now involving Chinese partners.
As geopolitical uncertainties persist, analysts suggest the summit will likely produce new agreements on digital connectivity and counterterrorism coordination. The outcomes could set benchmarks for South-South cooperation models in an increasingly multipolar world.
