INVESTMENT COOPERATION BETWEEN UZBEKISTAN AND CHINA: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21840011Abstract
Investment cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the People’s Republic of China is examined
through a comprehensive macroeconomic and structural perspective. Following the large-scale economic liberalization
reforms initiated by Tashkent in 2016, bilateral investment relations evolved from fragmented asset acquisitions into a
systematic Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative econometric
analysis of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows with qualitative policy analysis, the distribution of Chinese capital
across key sectors, including energy, manufacturing, transport logistics, and high-technology industries, is assessed.
The analysis also identifies major structural challenges, such as increasing external debt vulnerability, asymmetric trade
dependence, and barriers to local technology transfer. Based on these findings, strategic recommendations are proposed
to enhance portfolio diversification, mitigate fiscal risks, and strengthen the institutional framework for sustainable and
mutually beneficial investment cooperation toward 2030
Keywords
foreign direct investment (FDI), Uzbekistan, China, Belt and Road Initiative, industrial policy, sovereign debt, strategic partnership.References
Akhmedov, T. The Political Economy of Market Liberalization in Post-Soviet Central Asia: The Case of Uzbekistan. –
Tashkent : Economic Review Publishing, 2024.
Brautigam, D. Deconstructing the Debt-Trap Diplomacy Rhetoric: Empirical Realities of Chinese Outward Venture
Capital. – Oxford : Development Policy Press, 2020.
Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Statistical
Bulletin. – Tashkent : CBU, 2025.
Ganiyev, J. Central Asia and the Belt and Road Initiative: Economic Realities and Horizons. – Tashkent : Academy of
Sciences, 2022.
Kaplan, M. Asymmetric Interdependence: Analyzing Chinese Foreign Direct Investment Portfolios in Eurasia // Journal
of Global Economic Integration. – 2022. – Vol. 14, No. 3. – P. 211–234.
Khidirov, S. Special Economic Zones as Catalysts for Industrialization: Evaluating the Sino-Uzbek Joint Venture
Matrices // Central Asian Journal of Economics and Management. – 2023. – Vol. 9, No. 2. – P. 45–67.
Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Report on Foreign Investment Attraction and
Industrial Localization Programs. – Tashkent : MIIT, 2025.
Shen, R. The Digital Silk Road in Central Asia: Connectivity, Infrastructure, and Geopolitics. – Shanghai : Academic
Press, 2021.
Zhao, H. China’s Economic Diplomacy in Central Asia: A Focus on Uzbekistan’s Reforms. – Beijing : Sinological Press,
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 MUHANDISLIK VA IQTISODIYOT

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

