Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan drove the regional expansion, recording growth of 31 percent and 25 percent respectively. Kazakhstan’s trade with Beijing reached $27.2 billion, characterized by a notable jump in Chinese imports of Kazakh goods, which rose to $12.22 billion. Conversely, Uzbekistan’s commerce grew to $8.87 billion, though the relationship remains heavily weighted toward Chinese exports, which accounted for $7.65 billion of the total.

Kyrgyzstan saw a sharp contraction, with bilateral turnover falling from $14.25 billion to $9.7 billion. Most striking was the collapse in Kyrgyz exports to China, which plummeted to $75 million from $3.89 billion in the same period last year. This volatility fuels speculation regarding Kyrgyzstan’s role as a transit hub for sanctioned goods moving toward Russia, potentially involving gold or commodity-based payments. Meanwhile, Tajikistan’s trade grew by 15 percent to $2.35 billion, and Turkmenistan remained the only regional state to maintain a trade surplus with Beijing, despite a slight 1 percent dip in overall turnover to $4.82 billion as its natural gas exports continue a long-term decline.