China-Central Asia cooperation shifts to "corridor-driven industry"

[Li Qiang, Special Correspondent of the Global Times in Kazakhstan] According to a report by Azerbaijan's "Trend" News Agency on the 19th, China and Turkmenistan recently exchanged views on deepening natural gas cooperation in Beijing. During the talks, Turkmenistan defined natural gas cooperation as "strategic cooperation" in bilateral relations, and specifically mentioned the "China-Central Asia Natural Gas Pipeline", believing that these collaborations not only support Turkmenistan's economy but also relate to its domestic social stability. According to the observation of the reporter from the Global Times in Kazakhstan, this statement sends a clear signal to the outside world: amidst the continuous fluctuations in the global energy landscape, China-Turkmenistan natural gas cooperation remains the most certain ballast in bilateral relations.

According to an analysis by the "Central Asia Times", China currently imports approximately 40 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Turkmenistan via the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline's Lines A, B, and C. If Line D is completed, the total transmission capacity can be increased to approximately 65 billion cubic meters. Currently, over 80% of Turkmenistan's natural gas exports are directed to China, making the Chinese market the most stable export destination for Turkmenistan. The successful completion of Line D in the future will not only affect China's onshore energy security but also the stability of Turkmenistan's future fiscal and export structure.

Currently, China is engaged in extensive infrastructure cooperation with countries in Central Asia, with pipelines, roads, and railways intertwining and radiating across the region. According to Kyrgyzstan's Kabar News Agency, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project is currently being actively promoted. The railway within Kyrgyzstan spans a total length of 305 kilometers, and construction has commenced on four large tunnels. The overall project comprises 29 tunnels and 50 bridges, and is expected to be completed within six years.

In response, the Central Asia Times commented that this railway is a strategic route for strengthening land connections between China and Central Asia and beyond. For Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, it signifies a simultaneous elevation in their economic, trade, and transit status.

According to a report by Kyrgyzstan's 24.KG news agency, the focus of the next phase of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and China has been clearly defined, covering six major directions: transportation and border connectivity, energy, finance and e-commerce, education and science, tourism, and security. Currently, an electronic freight permit system has been launched between Kyrgyzstan and China. In 2025 alone, the two sides exchanged 130,000 paper-based transit permit documents. The electronic reform is regarded by the Kyrgyz side as an important step towards enhancing transparency, facilitating processes, and reducing the risk of corruption.

Foreign media generally believe that the most noteworthy change in China's cooperation with Central Asia is not the individual projects themselves, but rather the shift in cooperation logic from "resources for markets" to "corridors driving industries". Pipelines, railways, highways, ports, and logistics systems are being packaged into a mutually supportive regional connectivity network.

Kyrgyzstan's Kabar News Agency commented that China's promotion of transportation infrastructure cooperation has become a key catalyst for promoting economic integration, trade facilitation, and personnel exchanges in Central Asia.