China Eyes $2 Billion Uzbek Mining Bet as Central Asia Courtship Accelerates | OilPrice. com
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HomeEnergyEnergy-GeneralEurasianetEurasianet is an independent news organization that covers news from and about the South Caucasus and Central Asia, providing on-the-ground reporting and critical perspectives on…More InfoSet us as your preferred Google sourcePremium ContentByEurasianet- Jun 23, 2026, 2:00 PM CDTKazakhstan has already picked China's National Nuclear Corp. to build two reactors, while Russia's Rosatom builds the country's first, putting Beijing and Moscow to work in the same nuclear sandbox. A single Chinese firm wants to sink $2 billion into Uzbekistan's mining sector alone, part of a broader push that also covers energy, infrastructure and tourism. Nobel laureate Mo Yan led a Chinese writers' delegation to Kyrgyzstan, a reminder that Beijing's Central Asia strategy runs through culture and soft power, not just minerals and megawatts. The head of China’s National Energy Administration,Wang Hongzhi, visited Kazakhstan to participate in the inaugural meeting of the Kazakhstan-China Joint Working Group on Cooperation in Civil Nuclear Energy. Participants approved a protocol that defines future cooperation in the nuclear energy sphere,accordingto a Kazakh government statement, which offered no further details. Kazakhstan has selected China’s National Nuclear Corp. to build two large-scale reactors in the Central Asian nation. Rosatom, Russia’s nuclear agency, has been tapped to build Kazakhstan’s first nuclear plant on the shores of Lake Balkhash. More from Kazakhstan …The Chinese electrical appliance manufacturer Midea Group has opened a representative office in Almaty with plans to develop a local operations team and a warehouse complex, as well as build a logistics hub to serve markets throughout Central Asia,reportsForbes. kz. Until recently, Midea operated in Central Asia via a distribution network of third-party local companies. The China–Kazakhstan Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum took place in Astana. Participating officials announced the opening of the Jiangsu Province Center for Central Asia, which will serve as a unified service hub for Chinese companies,accordingto Kapital. kz, citing the press service of the Ministry of Trade and Integration. The parties also agreed to diversify Kazakhstani exports, with plans to increase shipments of wheat, meat, and honey to Jiangsu. KyrgyzstanChina’s Nerin Engineering Co. , Ltd. was selected as the chief contractor to develop production facilities for the Togolok gold deposit,according tothe Kumtor Gold Company. The project entails the construction of a gold processing plant, a tailings storage facility, a camp for rotational workers and other essential infrastructure. The Kyrgyz National Investment Fund and the Chinese companyShenzhen Wuyou Technology Co. , Ltd. signed a variety of deals, including one to create a modern electric scooter fleet and another to install a network of charging stations in Kyrgyzstan,accordingto Open. kg. China sent a high-profile delegation of writers on a cultural visit to the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. Among the Chinese participants were Mo Yan, the only Chinese citizen to be awarded the Nobel Prize in literature, and Zhang Hongsen, the head of the China Writers’ Association (CWA),accordingto Open. kg. The visit included a meeting with the leadership of Kyrgyzstan’s National Union of Writers (NUW). That meeting yielded a cooperation agreement between the two associations outlining an intent to undertake joint projects, the translation of works and mutual visits by writers. TajikistanDangara State University, located in Tajikistan’s Khatlon Region, has signed an agreement with the International Foundation for Chinese Language Studies and Shenyang Normal University to establish a Confucius Institute on the Dangara campus, according to areportpublished by the official Tajik news agency Khovar. TurkmenistanThe Chinese ambassador to AshgabatmetTurkmen MPs for discussions on organizing Chinese-led seminars for parliamentarians from across Central Asia. The aim of the seminars is to strengthen mutual cooperation on legislative activities. UzbekistanA Chinese company, Zhongjin Guantai Industrial Development Co. , Ltd. , wants to invest $2 billion in Uzbekistan’s mining sector, $1 billion in cutting-edge energy projects, and $300-500 million in infrastructure and tourism development,reportsDunyo, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry’s official mass media outlet. Uzbekistan’s state uranium producer, Navoiyuran, and China’s State Nuclear Uranium Resources Development Co. , Ltd. agreed to set up a working group to develop joint projects covering geological exploration and mining, including unconventional uranium deposits,reportsUZDaily. Uzbekistan’s Agency for Expansion of Forests and Green Zones and Fighting Desertificationsignedtwo agreements with Chinese entities. The first deal involves the PRC’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, experts from which will help their Uzbek counterparts to create protective forest belts and develop sustainable forestry and green industries; the second agreement involves a Chinese company, Yinchuan Wolsenn Modern Irrigation Co. , Ltd. , which will supply water-saving irrigation technologies to Uzbekistan and organize regular trainings for local specialists. An MoU toexpandproduction of components of home appliances and to implement joint initiatives for developing "Physical AI" technologies was signed by Uzeltekhsanoat Association and China’s Electronics Enterprises Association. A roundtable in Tashkent organized by Uzbekistan’s Cabinet of Ministers and Ministry of Agriculture for a visiting delegation comprising representatives of China’s “government entities, financial institutions and leading companies” resulted in signing several agreements focusing on expanding investment in the agricultural sector,reportsUZ Daily. Uzbek official did not provide details about the agreements. ByEurasianet. orgMore Top Reads From Oilprice. comIndia Boosts U. S. LPG Imports to Record HighIran Moves to Tap Key Asian Markets as U. S. Waives Oil SanctionsEl Niño, War, and Fertilizer Costs Create a Dangerous Inflation CocktailDownload The Free Oilprice App TodayBack to homepageEurasianetEurasianet is an independent news organization that covers news from and about the South Caucasus and Central Asia, providing on-the-ground reporting and critical perspectives on…More InfoLeave a commentEXXON Mobil-0. 35Open57. 81Trading Vol. 6. 96MPrevious Vol. 241. 7BBUY57. 15Sell57. 00