Think Tank: Opportunities for China in Central Asia: Seizing Opportunities in a Changing Geopolitical Landscape

Since its launch in 2013, China's "Belt and Road" initiative has become one of the most ambitious development strategies in modern history.

China has invested $1.2 trillion in 147 countries, building an extensive network of trade routes, energy projects, and infrastructure, fundamentally transforming connectivity across much of the Global South.

Kazakhstan has been an important partner in the "Belt and Road" initiative. Chinese investments in Kazakhstan are mainly divided into three categories:

1) Transportation and logistics, such as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the "Middle Corridor," which is a crucial multimodal highway and railway corridor passing through Kazakhstan connecting China and Europe;

2) Oil, gas, and energy projects;

3) Other economic development projects.

Total Chinese investment projects in Kazakhstan exceed 200: between 2005 and 2023, Chinese investment reached $25.3 billion. [In 2024, bilateral trade reached a peak of $44 billion, accounting for 45% of the $97 billion trade between China and Central Asia.]

The "Belt and Road" initiative was initially centered on connectivity, promoting trade development through large-scale infrastructure projects. In 2023, the focus of the "Belt and Road" initiative shifted from quantitative investment to a more quality-oriented "software" approach, expanding to multiple areas including education, clean energy, public health, poverty alleviation, and artificial intelligence.

For example, during the second "China-Central Asia" summit held in Astana from June 16 to 18, 2025, China and Kazakhstan signed 58 new agreements totaling $25 billion, bringing China's total investment in Kazakhstan to $50 billion. The new agreements promoted cooperation in key areas such as green energy, agriculture, and infrastructure.

Main agreements include the use of the China Green Technology Bank, the construction of a $2 billion coal gasification plant in Almaty, a pumped storage power station, and large-scale agricultural processing projects in the Jambyl and Akmola regions.

These agreements include the establishment of three new cooperation centers, respectively for: 1) poverty alleviation 2) educational exchange and 3) combating desertification, indicating that Beijing is using development assistance, knowledge sharing, and cultural exchanges to enhance its appeal - the core of soft power.

At the same time, measures such as the establishment of a trade facilitation cooperation platform, the signing of the "Permanent Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation," and the publication of the "Astana Declaration" on joint security commitments demonstrate China's growing confidence and hard power under the goal of regional stability.

Source: Geopolitics

Author: Dr. Chen Yongbang and Dr. Anar Shaykhinova

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1838304058829131/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author(s) alone.