China’s growing role and the backlash in Kyrgyzstan ^{CEFR B1}

China has become Kyrgyzstan’s most important economic partner: it is the main creditor, the largest investor and the biggest trading partner. Bilateral ties were upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2023, and cooperation spans mining, agriculture, energy, transport and other sectors.

The growing influence has provoked repeated backlash. Protesters have staged demonstrations, violent clashes have occurred, businesses have been raided, and campaigns to identify and deport so-called "illegal" migrants have taken place. Researchers say over two-thirds of protests in the region between 2018 and 2021 that targeted foreign actors focused on China. The peak of violence came in October 2020, when contested elections created a power vacuum and Chinese businesses were attacked; in 2020 the government cancelled a $280 million logistics terminal after local protests.

Specific environmental and health complaints have driven much anger. Firms have been accused of pollution, toxic leaks and harm to water and crops. Reported cases include fines for emissions at the Junda refinery in Kara-Balta and livestock deaths near the Solton-Sary mine run by Zhong Ji. Fear of migration and dependence on debt also matter: there are about 9,000 Chinese workers, though rumours claim nearly 100,000, and China holds over one-third of Kyrgyzstan’s foreign debt. Since 2020 the state has tightened controls on civil society and media, and protests in central Bishkek have been banned since March 2022. Polling shows negative opinions of China fell from almost 50 percent in 2020 to just over 25 percent today.

China has adapted by increasing security assistance and permitting foreign private security companies to operate; at least six now work in the country and Zhongjun Junhong Group received a firearms permit in 2016. It has also invested in soft-power and skills initiatives, including three Confucius Institutes, scholarships and new Luban vocational workshops, and the Bishkek Luban Workshop opened in 2024 with a focus on hydropower and road construction.