Overview

• The second China-Central Asia Summit convenes leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to advance cooperation in transport, energy, security governance and the digital economy.
• Xi Jinping is using the visit to reinforce Beijing’s commitments to previously agreed Belt and Road Initiative projects and push for tangible implementation.
• China surpassed Russia in 2023 as Kazakhstan’s top trading partner and has pledged about $26 billion in capital investment in the country.
• Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev aims to attract $150 billion in investment by 2029, a target likely to hinge on deeper Chinese involvement.
• Analysts say the summit reflects a regional strategy to mitigate risks from U.S. policy fluctuations through complementarity of development.