Overview

• Xi Jinping is meeting with Kazakhstan’s Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and leaders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan at the second China–Central Asia Summit in Astana.
• Beijing has pledged $26 billion in new capital for Kazakhstan as Nur-Sultan pursues a $150 billion investment target by 2029.
• The summit marks a move from prioritizing project quantity to delivering tangible outcomes in transport, energy, security governance and the digital economy.
• China and its Central Asian partners seek deeper strategic coordination to reduce risks posed by shifts in US tariff policies.
• Since 2023, China has overtaken Russia as Kazakhstan’s top trading partner, with exports to the five Central Asian states rising over 40 percent in 2022 and 2023.