Central Asia only gets crumbs of China’s investment pie

Over the past two decades, Kazakhstan has been the primary recipient of Chinese investment in Central Asia, receiving $46.3 billion in investment or construction-related money. Uzbekistan was second with $16.2 billion, followed by Turkmenistan’s $15.1 billion. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan accounted for the remainder. Trade turnover in 2025 between China and the five Central Asian states topped $106 billion. Chinese exports during the year to the region exceeded $71 billion while imports totaled just over $35 billion.

Education

China is pursuing education initiatives across Central Asia. In Kazakhstan, Kozybayev University is seeking to expand its decade-long partnership with China’s Northwest A&F University, and is preparing for apply for government funding for new projects, reports Petropavlovsk.news. Elsewhere, China’s JinanProvince is offering 20 scholarships to Kyrgyz students for the 2026-2027 academic year, with 10 places at Jinan University and 10 at Shandong University of Architecture, according to Open.kg. That is in addition to other education-related projects announced last week. In Tajikistan, AvicennaTajik StateMedical University and China’s People's Hospital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region have discussed cooperation concerning medical training, reports the official Khovar news agency. The Luban Workshop at the Tajik TechnicalUniversity has “emerged as one of the country’s most significant educational platforms,” claimed  China.org. Meanwhile Turkmenistan’s Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gas University and the China’s University of Petroleum have discussed establishing a joint Turkmen-Chinese energy training center. 

Kazakhstan

Contracts worth $2.7 billion dollars were signed during the Almaty-Shanghai business forum, reports the city administration of Almaty, offering no additional details.

Kazakh star Dimash Kudaibergen’s show, Voice Beyond Horizon, has generated over 1.5 billion views across online platforms, mostly in China, since its launch in early February. The show is produced by China’s National Radio and Television Administration, the Hunan Broadcasting System and Kazakh partners as a vehicle for building cultural relations between China and Kazakhstan. A Chinese mega-influencer and tourism ambassador for Kazakh Tourism, Tao Mingxiu, was awarded Kazakhstan’s Order of Friendship, 2nd Class, as announced by the Kazakh government. The number of Chinese tourists has skyrocketed over the past four years, reaching nearly 1 million in 2025.  China’s new regulations for feed meal importers continue to cause trouble for Kazakh companies: out of 66 companies that applied for authorization to supply feed meal to the PRC, only 27 entities have been granted permission, reports ElDala.kz. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture officials met with industry players to try to develop a solution, writes CMN.kz. 

Kyrgyzstan 

A Chinese company, Zhengzhou Chuang Sheng Scientific and Technical Business Development LLC, has received a contract to build a dual-line concrete mixing plant in Kyrgyzstan’s Chuy region, reports Economist.kg. The report didn’t specify the contract’s value or other details. The Kyrgyz Presidential Agency for Investments and a Chinese company, Chuan Yi LLC, signed an MoU to cooperate in the importation of new models of Chinese cars and the development of infrastructure to service the cars, writes Open.kg.  Six paintings dating back to the 8th century during the Tang Dynasty, reportedly depicting Kyrgyz people and possibly scenes from the Manas Epic, have been discovered in a museum in China, according to a report published by Vesti.kg. If confirmed, the finding would be of major cultural significance for Kyrgyzstan.

Uzbekistan 

Uzbekistan plans to launch its Samarkand 2028 satellite in May 2026, reports the Uzbek space agency.  The satellite was developed in cooperation with the Chinese company StarVision. Uzbek diplomats and the ShanghaiCenter for International Cooperation in Materials and Equipment Trade have agreed to jointly organize business visits, forums and training seminars, reports the Dunyo News Agency.