Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The China–Central Asia Summit has given a real boost to inter-regional cooperation, bringing practical benefits to the people.

Recent years have witnessed ties between cities, provinces and regions in China and Central Asian countries become stronger with several key projects underway. In 2023, China launched the Xinjiang Free Trade Zone, and in 2024, construction began on the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway.

Platforms like the China–Kazakhstan and China–Uzbekistan forums, along with the Silk Road Expo, are expanding regional exchanges.

New forms of cooperation are also emerging. For instance, the Horgos–Yiwu International Trade Center in Xinjiang has now become a hub for cross-border e-commerce livestreaming. Meanwhile, agricultural cooperation is also entering a new chapter, as apple seedlings from China were exported to Tajikistan for the first time.

Over 80 sister-province and city relationships have been established, boosting mutual understanding. The growing number of sister-city relationships is making it easier to expand economic, cultural, and personalized cooperation between local regions. As a complement to national-level diplomacy, local collaboration helps harness regional strengths, better engage market forces, and explore new cooperative models. This ultimately contributes to more practical and sustainable cooperation between China and Central Asia.

By Zhu Zhu