All five Central Asian countries prioritize attracting foreign investment. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan have in recent years intensively revised their investment laws, introducing tax incentives, one-stop services, and international arbitration for investment disputes. By 2025, China's direct investment stock in Central Asia exceeded 35.9 billion USD, and bilateral trade broke the 100-billion-USD mark for the first time, making China the largest trading partner of each Central Asian country. As the China-Central Asia Summit mechanism operates steadily, demand for cross-border investment, financing, and landing services continues to rise, with significant gaps in professional services such as asset management, project financing, and legal compliance.
Flagship project: Central Asia Asset Management Holding & Investment Group (CAAM)
Central Asia is rich in mineral and energy resources. Mining is the second-largest source of foreign investment in Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan's exports of zinc, lead, and copper ore account for a significant share of its foreign trade. The combined GDP of the five Central Asian countries has exceeded 500 billion USD, with industry becoming a key driver of growth; Tajikistan's industrial growth exceeded 22%. Solar and wind energy hold great potential. Uzbekistan has listed energy as a priority area for cooperation. China's investment in Central Asia's power sector grew from almost zero in 2016 to 6.6 billion USD in 2025, with renewable energy projects advancing rapidly.
Flagship project: Placer Gold Project in Jalal-Abad Region, Kyrgyzstan
Central Asia adopts a "controlled openness" strategy toward digital assets. Kyrgyzstan has launched the gold-backed stablecoin USDKG, Uzbekistan has legalized cryptocurrency trading and is testing a regulatory sandbox, and Tajikistan has incorporated blockchain into its digitalization strategy. As blockchain and AI accelerate their integration, demand for computing infrastructure in Central Asia is rising in parallel, and AI computing centers are becoming an important support for digital finance. Central Asia has a large scale of migrant remittances — Tajikistan's remittance income accounts for nearly half of its GDP — creating significant demand for digital financial infrastructure.
Flagship project: Central Asia Connect Wealth
In 2025, China exported 71.2 billion USD to Central Asia and imported 35.1 billion USD, both maintaining double-digit growth. Mechanical, electrical, and high-tech products accounted for about 60%, and the market share of the "new three" products continued to expand. Central Asian countries are in a phase of rapid industrialization, with GDP growth exceeding 6% in each, creating enormous market demand. The Eurasian Economic Union's unified e-commerce rules and revised rules of origin provide greater space for Chinese enterprises to arrange supply chains and conduct re-export trade through Central Asian member states.
Flagship projects: Central Asia Electromechanical, Silk Road Premium Goods
Central Asian countries regard free economic zones and industrial parks as core vehicles for attracting foreign investment. Uzbekistan provides one-stop services, Tajikistan's five free economic zones are positioned as international platforms for innovation cooperation, and Kazakhstan is promoting efficiency improvements in special economic zones. The Eurasian Development Bank notes that manufacturing investment in Central Asia is growing rapidly, and China's investment in Central Asian manufacturing has reached 22% of total investment, driving rising demand for industrial park construction.
Flagship project: Bishkek Science and Technology Industrial Park, Kyrgyzstan
In 2025, Central Asia's tourism output reached about 20.1 billion USD, with international visitor spending up 17.7%, one of the fastest growth rates globally. The CAREC Tourism Strategy 2030 promotes cross-border routes and private-sector participation, and foreign investment in Kyrgyzstan's hotel and catering industry continues to increase. The acceleration of transport corridor construction in Central Asia, and the steady progress of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway, are creating better conditions for cross-border tourism and business travel.
Flagship projects: Akjola Hotel Bishkek, Hyatt Regency Bishkek, Aqua Hotel Oktyabr
Central Asia has a population of about 82 million and a young demographic, yet e-commerce penetration remains low. Kazakhstan plans to have one-fifth of all shopping done online by 2030. The Eurasian Economic Union has unified e-commerce transaction rules and will implement new rules for cross-border e-commerce imports starting in 2027. China-Central Asia "Silk Road e-commerce" cooperation continues to deepen, with extensive cross-border payment cooperation, and online malls and e-commerce platforms face a window of rapid growth.
Flagship project: Central Asia Connect Cross-border E-Commerce (under construction)
As Chinese enterprises expand their investment in Central Asia, by July 2026 the number of foreign-funded enterprises in Uzbekistan surpassed 20,000 for the first time, with Chinese enterprises ranking first and accounting for nearly 30% of all foreign-funded enterprises. Demand for cross-border security and risk management is rising accordingly, and the region faces challenges such as geopolitical rivalry, foreign exchange controls, and shortages of skilled workers. Uzbekistan has listed responsible business conduct and ESG standards as priorities, creating space for providing compliance and risk management services to Chinese enterprises.
Flagship project: Security Associates
