A few days ago, Xi Jinping met with the National Leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of the People’s Council of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

At the beginning of this Year of the Horse, China is ready to work with Turkmenistan to discuss major cooperation projects, share development opportunities, and promote the construction of a stronger and more efficient China–Turkmenistan community with a shared future. It should be recalled that Turkmenistan has also declared this year the Year of the Ahal-Teke horse. This is not really a coincidence, but rather a highlighted expression of friendship.

Regardless of changes on the international stage, China will firmly support Turkmenistan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. China will always support Turkmenistan in pursuing its policy of permanent neutrality, according to official Chinese statements.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed his satisfaction with his visit to the great Chinese nation. Under the personal leadership of President Xi Jinping, friendly relations between Turkmenistan and China have progressed rapidly and steadily, with close exchanges between legislative bodies and political parties.

Turkmenistan thanks China for its support for its status of permanent neutrality, warmly welcomes the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping as a world-class leader, and highly appreciates the impartial position that China has consistently adopted in international affairs according to China Daily. Turkmenistan wishes to strengthen its coordination and cooperation with China within multilateral platforms such as the United Nations and the China–Central Asia mechanism, in order to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the region and in the world, according to official Chinese statements.

To understand Turkmen–Chinese relations, we must first understand Central Asia–China relations.

So why do Turkmenistan–China relations matter? Central Asia–China Relations

On one side are the Central Asian republics, which gained independence and are rich in natural resources—particularly oil and natural gas—and occupy a strategic position in the Asia–Europe transit region; on the other side is the People’s Republic of China which, thanks to its dynamic economic development since 1991, has transformed itself into one of the largest economies in the world, with ever-growing energy needs and a strong dependence on foreign energy sources (Duran, H., & Pusevsuren, N., 2016). Both poles are experiencing exponential growth and are seeking to intensify bilateral cooperation.

The People’s Republic of China and Central Asia have maintained close economic relations for centuries. During the Silk Road era, these states constituted a transportation bridge between Europe and China. These regions are characterized by significant economic, industrial, and financial development. As a result, China remains a crucial partner for Central Asia.

The Central Asia–China relationship is ancient, but this new phase of relations began directly with the independence of the Central Asian countries. In January 1992, China was among the first countries to recognize the independence of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan, and to establish diplomatic relations with them.

With approximately 1.405 billion inhabitants, China is the most populous country in the world and also the second-largest global economy, making it one of the most important actors in the global economy.

China is the main trading partner and investor of Central Asia, and de facto the most important creditor of the region (Duran & Pusevsuren, 2016).

Central Asian countries seek to free themselves from Russian influence and to move closer to the international community by strengthening their economic and political relations with Western countries and other nations in the region. In this context, China appears as a promising alternative. Without interfering in the internal politics of the region, it explores cooperation opportunities to guarantee its supply of energy raw materials and its energy security. China became the largest trading partner of Central Asian countries in 2025 wrote China Daily.

Central Asian countries and China are striving to restore the Silk Road by developing modern road and railway infrastructures (which will be discussed in more detail below).

China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, is one of the largest countries in the world. Its expanding economic, military, spatial, and demographic potential significantly strengthens its role and influence in addressing numerous international and regional issues, particularly in Central Asia.

China’s energy strategy pursues three main objectives:

• Ensuring China’s long-term economic growth;

• Reducing China’s energy vulnerability;

• Protecting the environment and preventing its degradation and related diseases (Tullekova, 2024).

In 1992, the total volume of trade between China and Central Asia amounted to only 460 million US dollars. Twenty years later, in 2012, this figure reached nearly 46 billion dollars, representing a hundredfold increase. Today, China is the leading trading partner of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and the second for Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. As of 2026, China has become the primary economic partner of the region. Trade between China and Central Asia reached a historic record of 106.3 billion dollars in 2025, representing a 12% increase year-on-year, according to a statement published on the website of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

The volume of trade between China and Central Asia exceeded 100 billion dollars for the first time in history, maintaining positive growth for five consecutive years, according to the same statement (CGTN Français, January 19, 2026).

Central Asia–China Relations under Xi Jinping

The accession of Xi Jinping to the presidency in 2013 marked the beginning of a new era in China’s economic policy toward Central Asia. On September 7, 2013, during a speech delivered at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan, the Chinese leader announced the project of the New Silk Roads under the slogan “One Belt, One Road” to the people of Central Asia. The role of Central Asia in the economic policy of the new Chinese leadership was thus clearly affirmed (Özdaşlı, 2015: 579).

The state visit of the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, to Central Asian countries from September 8 to 10, 2013, marked a turning point in the history of bilateral relations. Following this visit, China established a strategic partnership with Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan, and declared its readiness to further deepen bilateral relations with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Today, Central Asia and China are inseparable partners, and Central Asian countries find it much easier to cooperate with China, as emphasized........

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