BEIJING: Trade between China and Central Asian states witnessed a robust surge in 2023, reaching a total turnover of $89.4 billion, according to data released by China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC).
The annual trade turnover for Central Asian states reported by the GACC marked a substantial 27 percent increase compared to the previous year’s level of $70.2 billion. Goods and services worth $61.4 billion exported to Central Asian countries from China, while Beijing’s imports from the region amounted to $28 billion.
Kazakhstan emerged as China’s largest trade partner in 2023, with bilateral trade turnover reaching $41 billion, representing a significant 32 percent increase over the previous year. Kazakh exports to China were valued at $16.3 billion, while imports amounted to $24.7 billion.
China’s Trade with Central Asian Nations
Tajikistan experienced the most substantial percentage gain in trade with China, witnessing a 54 percent surge in 2023 compared to the previous year. However, the volume of Tajik-Chinese trade remained the lowest among Central Asian states, totaling $3.9 billion. Tajikistan’s exports to China accounted for $250 million of the overall turnover.
Meanwhile, Turkmenistan saw a 5.2 percent decline in its trade volume with China in 2023, totaling $10.6 billion. Despite this dip, Turkmenistan stood out due to a trade balance in its favor, driven by natural gas exports. Turkmen exports to China constituted $9.6 billion of the annual total, a 6.6 percent decrease from the previous year. China’s exports to Turkmenistan marked an 11.3 percent increase, reaching $1 billion.
Kyrgyzstan recorded a substantial 28.8 percent increase in trade turnover with China, amounting to $19.8 billion. Uzbekistan experienced a 45 percent rise in annual turnover with China in 2023, reaching $14 billion.
