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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
In 2025, cooperation between China and the Central Asian countries reached a new level, demonstrating not only sustainable growth but also a transition to an institutionalized multilateral format. The key political event of the year was the second China-Central Asia Summit, held from June 16 to 18 in Astana. It consolidated previously reached agreements and set strategic guidelines for the partnership in the medium term.
The Astana summit was a logical continuation of the first leaders' meeting in 2023 in Xi'an and confirmed the formation of a sustainable mechanism for China's interaction with the five countries in the region. During the talks, the heads of state signed the Astana Declaration and the Treaty of Eternal Good-Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation, which affirmed their intention to build relations based on the principles of long-term trust, mutual benefit, and respect for sovereignty.
The economic dimension of cooperation between China and Central Asian countries demonstrated the most tangible results in 2025. According to Chinese customs statistics, combined trade turnover in the first 11 months of the year reached approximately USD 80 billion, an increase of 9% compared to the same period in 2024. These figures were among the highest in the history of relations and confirmed the resilience of mutual trade even amid global economic turbulence.
The structure of trade has also changed significantly. While China's primary exports to the region previously consisted of consumer goods and construction materials, in 2025, automobiles and auto components, electronics, integrated circuits, renewable energy equipment, and products from the photovoltaic and wind energy industries began to play an increasingly significant role. Central Asian countries have increased their supplies of energy resources, metals, agricultural raw materials, and chemical products, demonstrating a more balanced trade balance.
Particular attention was paid to investments and infrastructure projects within the Belt and Road Initiative. China continued to actively participate in the modernization of the region's transport and logistics infrastructure, including the development of railway routes, road corridors, and border logistics hubs, strengthening Central Asia's role as a key transit link between East Asia and Europe. At the same time, energy projects, including gas and electricity, as well as green technologies, were developed, which is in the long-term interests of all participants.
In 2025, cooperation beyond the purely economic agenda intensified. At the Astana summit and subsequent meetings at the government and relevant agencies level, special emphasis was placed on humanitarian ties, educational exchanges, combating desertification, developing sustainable agriculture, and training personnel. These areas strengthen the social foundation of the partnership and make it more comprehensive and sustainable.
Politically, China has reaffirmed its interest in a stable, independent, and prosperous Central Asia, emphasizing the absence of geopolitical constraints and its focus on pragmatic economic cooperation. For countries in the region, cooperation with China remains an important tool for diversifying foreign economic ties and attracting investment, especially as global supply chains transform and competition between major global centers intensifies.
The forecast for 2026 appears moderately optimistic. Given the current trade growth rate, a further increase of 6-10% is expected in 2025, provided the favorable foreign economic environment remains. Transport, energy, industrial cooperation, and high-tech exports will continue to demonstrate the most dynamic growth. Important factors will be the practical implementation of the agreements reached in Astana, as well as preparations for the next summit, which will stimulate interagency contacts and the launch of new joint projects.
At the same time, in 2026, issues of investment quality, financial sustainability, and production localization will come to the fore, requiring a more balanced approach to the implementation of major infrastructure initiatives. If the current level of political trust and pragmatism is maintained, Chinese-Central Asian cooperation has every chance of strengthening as one of the most stable and dynamically developing formats of interaction in Eurasia.
Thus, 2026 could become a stage for deepening and fine-tuning the partnership, when accumulated experience will be used to enhance the effectiveness of joint projects and better focus them on the long-term development of national economies. The combination of political stability, growing mutual interest, and practical cooperation creates conditions for the progressive development of Chinese-Central Asian relations, strengthening the region's economic connectivity and its role in shaping a new architecture of Eurasian cooperation.
Author: Anushervon Rasulov
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