Crossroads Asia | Economy | Central Asia

How China Is Building Influence in Central Asia, One Laboratory at a Time

Scientific and educational cooperation may be less visible than a railway, but it may also have longer lasting and broader results.

For years, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been presented as a set of trade routes. While infrastructure projects are crucial for growth, another part of China’s work in Central Asia gets much less attention: the links between universities and laboratories.

Uzbekistan is a good example. In October 2026, the second meeting of the Uzbekistan-China Expert Council convened in Tashkent to discuss “Digital Partnership: Artificial Intelligence and the Next-Generation Data Economy.” The meeting demonstrates that China’s engagement with Central Asia does not neglect knowledge networks and scientific cooperation. This matters because scientific partnerships often outlast commercial projects and can shape who trains future researchers and provides access to advanced technologies. Indeed, such meetings start a recurring mechanism through which Chinese and Uzbek academics and technology specialists formulate ideas, standards, and research priorities together. 

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For years, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been presented as a set of trade routes. While infrastructure projects are crucial for growth, another part of China’s work in Central Asia gets much less attention: the links between universities and laboratories.

Uzbekistan is a good example. In October 2026, the second meeting of the Uzbekistan-China Expert Council convened in Tashkent to discuss “Digital Partnership: Artificial Intelligence and the Next-Generation Data Economy.” The meeting demonstrates that China’s engagement with Central Asia does not neglect knowledge........

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