From E-Commerce to Tourism: China and Central Asia Accelerate 'Practical Cooperation'

May 21, 2025, 9th Silk Road International Expo Tajikistan Pavilion. The exhibition featured 158 overseas companies from over 40 countries. CMG

Practical cooperation between China and Central Asian countries is accelerating across various sectors. Exchanges between the two sides, particularly in e-commerce, logistics, tourism, and education, continue to expand, further strengthening regional connectivity.

At a logistics center in Almaty, Kazakhstan, more than 30,000 parcels from China are sorted every day. The delivery period, which used to take more than a month in the past, has now been reduced to within 10 days. This change is attributed to the development of cross-border e-commerce platforms.

According to the Kazakhstan Bureau of Statistics, the proportion of e-commerce in the country's total retail sales reached 14.1% last year, demonstrating rapid growth in recent years. This highlights how economic cooperation between China and Central Asia is quickly expanding into everyday life.

The scale of trade is also on the rise. In 2024, the trade volume between China and the five Central Asian countries reached a record high of $94.8 billion. While agricultural products and specialties from Central Asia are gaining popularity in the Chinese market, the presence of Chinese consumer goods in local markets is also expanding.

Exchanges in the tourism sector are also active. Visa exemption policies and the expansion of flight routes have contributed to increased tourism demand. According to Chinese online travel platform Ctrip, the number of tourists from Central Asia visiting China this year increased by 106% compared to the previous year, while the number of Chinese visiting Central Asia rose by 74%. Cultural and artistic exchange events between the two sides are also continuing, gradually broadening the scope of people-to-people exchanges.