China and the Belt and Road in Central Asia ^{CEFR A2}

Over the last twenty years China became a major diplomatic and trade actor in Central Asia. It funded infrastructure and industrial projects across the region, including electric vehicle production, waste processing, renewable energy and mining. China framed the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013.

After Russia formed the Customs Union in 2010, institutionalized in 2015 as the Eurasian Economic Union, trade with Russia became easier but trade with China grew more complicated. Central Asian states wanted to join global transport and trade networks. Chinese finance and construction fitted these aims. Most governments are relatively stable and authoritarian, with Kyrgyzstan as an exception. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have shown more interest in renewables over the past five to six years, and Uzbekistan is active in hydropower on the Pskem River as of 2025. Pron expects China to remain active, but public pushback sometimes forces authorities to revoke parts of deals.