In late January, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev paid a state visit to China to seek greater investment and trade opportunities. Mirziyoyev’s visit is the culmination of years of gradually warming ties with Beijing. He announced that Beijing had agreed to increase investment in infrastructure and energy projects that will form part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and the two sides declared that the bilateral relationship had reached the status of an “all-weather” comprehensive strategic partnership.
China will continue to seek closer commercial ties with other Central Asian states as it tries to reinvigorate the BRI.
Moscow will try to foster closer ties with Tashkent, although the distraction of war in Ukraine will limit its ability to do so.
Uzbekistan will push to complete construction of the Trans-Afghan Railway after securing external funding.
