On November 23, China Forum under Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy and the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS) held the China Forum · China-Central Asia Dialogue on Trade Governance. The event brought together scholars and business leaders from the two sides to explore how trade facilitation can be empowered to improve trade governance and advance high-level cooperation.

Fan Daqi, vice president of ACCWS, and Zhu Tianzhu, assistant director of the administrative committee of the Beijing Daxing International Airport Economic Zone, made opening remarks at the meeting, which was moderated by Zhang Lirong, secretary general of China Forum. The dialogue also featured Artikov Afzal, head of the Center for Economic Research and Reforms, Office of the President of Uzbekistan; Zhang Jianping, deputy director of the academic committee of the Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Commerce of China; Zhanseitov Yersultan, head of the Chinese and Asian Studies Program, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Kazakhstan; Li Jinfeng, executive director of the Center for Shanghai Cooperation Center Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Gong Jiong, vice president for research, University of International Business and Economics Israel; Rafael Bekshentayev, account manager of the digital and integration division at Schlumberger; Wang Lunmao, director for investment promotion, administrative committee of the Beijing Daxing International Airport Economic Zone; Xia Zhicheng, deputy director for investment promotion, administrative committee of the Beijing Daxing International Airport Economic Zone; Turakulova Sevara, vice president of ISMA University of Applied Sciences in Fergana, Uzbekistan; and Xiong Tao, vice president for international development, BGI Group.

The panelists took stock of the achievements in economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between China and Central Asia in recent years: In 2022, trade volume exceeded $70 billion, realizing a 150-fold increase in three decades, and China’s direct investment in the five countries exceeded $15 billion. Trade structure is also increasingly diverse, covering not only traditional sectors like energy and agriculture but also emerging industries such as digital trade and green development. The participants highlighted the significance and prospects of China-Central Asia cooperation, and shared their suggestions on deepening such cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative, free trade mechanisms, and regional cooperation mechanisms.

In his concluding remarks, Zhang Lirong applauded the informative and practical exchanges at the dialogue, which not only focused on the governance of China-Central Asia trade cooperation but also on the development of the overall relationship between the two sides. Such dialogue – preferably institutionalized – will certainly help promote trade cooperation policies and initiatives and benefit the business communities and people in our countries, said Zhang.