Beijing says trade with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan reached $70 billion in 2022 and expanded 22 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023. Central Asia has also become key to China's trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, a defining geopolitical project for President Xi Jinping.
China pivot to Central Asia: Xi to host first summit with regional countries
The summit in the city of Xi'an is the first of its kind, according to Chinese state media, and will focus on strengthening economic and diplomatic ties with Beijing. China, the world's second-largest energy consumer, has invested billions of dollars to tap natural gas reserves in Central Asia.
