China became the largest trading partner of all Central Asian countries for the first time in 2025, as two-way trade between China and the region exceeded $100 billion to reach a new high, with Central Asia accounting for a growing share of China’s overall foreign trade, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said.
Beyond headline growth, the structure of trade is improving. China’s exports to Central Asia totaled $71.2 billion, up 11 percent year-on-year, driven by strong growth in mechanical and electrical products as well as high-tech goods. The market share of China’s ‘new three’ products – electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products – expanded steadily.
New business models are powering bilateral trade. Cross-border e-commerce between China and Central Asia maintained rapid growth, while warehousing and logistics infrastructure continued to improve. Cooperation in cross-border payments has also been rolled out more broadly, according to the MOFCOM.
A China-Central Asia trade facilitation cooperation platform was launched in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu Province, on June 6, 2025, during the second China-Central Asia Summit. The ‘Silk Road e-commerce’ framework is emerging as an efficient bridge for connecting markets on both sides, the ministry said in the statement.
https://caspianpost.com/analytics/china-emerges-as-central-asia-s-largest-trading-partner
See also: Kazakhstan to Build New International Cargo Airport Near China Border
“Kazakhstan plans to construct a new international cargo and passenger airport in the Zhetysu region, near the Chinese border, as part of efforts to develop a major multimodal aviation and logistics hub along key transit routes linking China, Central Asia, and Europe.”
“The facility will be located within the Khorgos–Eastern Gate Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a strategic logistics cluster on the New Silk Road. According to Dias Esdauletov, Deputy Akim of the region, the project is one of the most significant and promising investment initiatives currently underway and aims to establish Kazakhstan as a central player in Eurasian trade.”
https://timesca.com/kazakhstan-to-build-new-international-cargo-airport-near-china-border/