In 2025, economic and trade cooperation between China and Central Asian nations reached a qualitatively new level, hitting a historic milestone. According to official data from the Ministry of Commerce of the PRC, reported by Xinhua News Agency, the total trade turnover between China and the region amounted to $106.3 billion, a 12% increase over the previous year.
This result marks a landmark achievement: for the first time in history, bilateral trade has surpassed the $100 billion threshold, maintaining steady growth for five consecutive years. Furthermore, in 2025, China emerged for the first time as the largest trading partner for all five Central Asian nations—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The trade structure reveals a notable shift toward Chinese exports, which reached $71.2 billion (up 11% from 2024). The primary drivers of this growth include electromechanical products, high-tech goods, automobiles, electronics, and industrial equipment. Meanwhile, imports from Central Asia totaled $35.1 billion (a 14% increase), primarily driven by traditional commodities such as chemicals, steel and agricultural goods.
Cross-border e-commerce has shown particularly dynamic development. High growth rates persist as new warehouse and logistics complexes are actively constructed and cooperation in cross-border payments expands.
A significant contribution to this success was made by the “high-quality cooperation” mechanism under the Belt and Road Initiative. In 2025, major infrastructure and production projects were accelerated in the fields of transport connectivity, mechanical engineering, the extraction and processing of “green” minerals, and modern agriculture.
The implementation of these initiatives has not only boosted Chinese exports but has also assisted regional countries in industrial modernization, enhancing their export potential and accelerating overall economic growth.
The Ministry of Commerce of the PRC emphasized that efforts in the coming years will focus on optimizing trade structures, developing new business models—including digital and “green” sectors—and establishing more sophisticated institutional cooperation mechanisms. ///nCa, 19 January 2026