A freight train departs from Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, bound for Tashkent, Uzbekistan, April 13, 2025. (Photo by Bai Guibin/People's Daily Online)

Economic ties between China and Central Asian countries are gaining momentum. From record-high trade figures to deepening investment partnerships, the two sides are forging a new chapter of cooperation along the ancient Silk Road.

At the 2nd China-Central Asia Meeting of the Ministers of Economy and Trade held recently in Astana, Kazakhstan, several key figures underscored the pace and scale of this partnership: in 2024, China's trade with Central Asian countries reached a record high of $94.8 billion, and China has cumulatively invested more than $30 billion in Central Asian countries.

The numbers speak to a broader trend: a fast-expanding, mutually beneficial relationship rooted in shared economic potential. Today, the modern echoes of camel bells - symbols of the ancient Silk Road - resonate anew, reflecting the enduring spirit of connectivity and mutual benefit.

The vitality was on full display at the 9th Silk Road International Exposition held in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi province. Products such as camel milk powder from Kazakhstan, filled candies from Uzbekistan, and organic fruit juice from Kyrgyzstan captured the attention of Chinese consumers. The expo demonstrates the improvement of the China-Central Asia mechanism and their deepened economic and trade ties.

China has been the largest trading partner and a major source of investment for Central Asia. According to Xu Tao, deputy director of the Eurasian Social Development Research Institute at the Development Research Center of China's State Council, trade and investment between China and Central Asian countries have surged more than 100 times in the past 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Chinese and Tajik workers pave an asphalt road as part of the second phase of the China-Tajikistan expressway. (Photo by Cheng Shijie/People's Daily)

Xu noted that the cooperation is built on sincerity and mutual trust, and grounded in principles of equality and mutual benefit. From early roles as distribution hubs and logistics centers to significant advances in bilateral trade, China and Central Asia have made steady progress across a range of sectors.

In the energy sector, cooperation with Chinese enterprises has enabled Central Asian countries to diversify their energy exports. The China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline, which has three lines in operation, has become a major overland route for China's natural gas imports. Meanwhile, as global demand for clean energy grows, collaboration in renewable energy such as solar and wind power is gradually taking shape.

Agricultural cooperation is also deepening and yielding tangible results. Central Asia's fertile soil and abundant sunlight produce high-quality melons, grains, meat, and cotton. The two sides enjoy complementary strengths: while their agricultural resources differ, their geographic proximity facilitates close collaboration. Chinese crop varieties, technologies, machinery, and agricultural supplies are flowing outward, while products from overseas agricultural parks are entering the Chinese market, a vivid illustration of China-Central Asia agricultural cooperation.

Major infrastructure projects have brought China and Central Asia even closer. The China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline, the China-Kazakhstan crude oil pipeline, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway, the China-Tajikistan expressway and the booming China-Europe freight train service - all running through Central Asia - have all contributed to a more robust logistics network and created win-win outcomes. Meanwhile, cooperation in railway construction, financing, and technical support, such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and the trans-Caspian international transport corridor, continues to advance.

Photo shows a view of the second phase of an industrial park in Kazakhstan, invested by Xi'an Aiju Grain and Oil Industrial Group, a traditional Chinese grain and oil enterprise. (Photo by Meng Xianglin/People's Daily)

According to Ma Bin, associate professor with the Center for Russian and Central Asian Studies at Fudan University, the rapid expansion of connectivity projects, such as the China-Europe and China-Central Asia freight trains, offers compelling evidence of how both sides are advancing practical, mutually beneficial cooperation based on their respective development needs.

These projects have significantly enhanced transportation efficiency and quality between China and Central Asia, facilitated trade, enabling Central Asian countries to overcome geographic constraints and strengthen ties with China, the European Union, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The result is a more interconnected Eurasian economic landscape.

In recent years, both sides have reached a consensus on expanding cooperation in emerging sectors. A seminar on the digital economy and green development, recently held in Beijing, emphasized that digital trade and green economy will serve as key engines of future growth and economic cooperation - especially among China, Central Asia, and the broader Global South.

Xu noted that as Central Asian countries advance their economic and social development, their demand for digital transformation, green development, and environmental protection continues to rise. China's industrial strengths in these fields have been widely recognized and received in the region. Future cooperation in smart agriculture, smart cities, and energy transition is highly anticipated.