General

The General Administration of Customs released statistical data on the 17th, stating that China's imports and exports with the five Central Asian countries in the first four months of this year amounted to 173.05 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 37.3%. According to customs data, the monthly import and export scale in April exceeded 50 billion yuan for the first time, reaching 50.27 billion yuan, reaching a new level. China and the five Central Asian countries continue to deepen practical economic and trade cooperation, and the quantity and quality of trade development have increased simultaneously.

From the perspective of business entities, customs data shows that in the first four months, China's private enterprises imported and exported 110.88 billion yuan to the five Central Asian countries, an increase of 64.6%, accounting for 64.1% of China's total import and export value with the five Central Asian countries, an increase of 10.6 percentage points year-on-year. The trade vitality with the five Central Asian countries has further strengthened.

In terms of imports, customs data shows that in the first four months, China imported 32.45 billion yuan of energy products such as coal, crude oil, and natural gas from the five Central Asian countries, accounting for 55% of the total import value of China from the five Central Asian countries during the same period; Imported metal ore reached 10.59 billion yuan, an increase of 13.7%. At the same time, Central Asian countries have abundant high-quality agricultural resources, providing more opportunities for bilateral agricultural cooperation to deepen and deepen. In the first four months, China imported 2.58 billion yuan of agricultural products from the five Central Asian countries, an increase of 42.9%.

In terms of exports, China's exports of electromechanical and labor-intensive products to the five Central Asian countries are on par. According to customs data, in the first four months, the export of mechanical and electrical products reached 51.58 billion yuan, an increase of 68.3%, accounting for 45.2% of the total export value between China and the five Central Asian countries during the same period; Export of labor-intensive products such as textiles and clothing, shoes and boots reached 47.4 billion yuan, an increase of 75.2%, accounting for 41.6%.

Customs strives to play a constructive role in serving the high-quality economic and trade development between China and the Central Asian region. Under the active initiative and promotion of China, the first meeting of customs directors of the "China Central Asian Five Countries" was held in video format on April 21 of this year, marking the official establishment of the "China Central Asian Five Countries" customs director meeting mechanism, and the high-level institutionalized development of customs cooperation between the "China Central Asian Five Countries". At the same time, the customs has promoted the establishment of a cooperation mechanism between the competent departments of animal and plant quarantine, which will be committed to maintaining national biological security, strengthening regional cross-border animal and plant epidemic prevention and control, and technical exchanges, and promoting more high-quality and safe agricultural and food products from Central Asian countries to enter the Chinese market.

Currently, customs is focusing on promoting smooth trade between China and the five Central Asian countries. Actively promoting the normalization of passenger and cargo transportation at highway ports between China and neighboring countries in Central Asia, the port capacity has been significantly released, and some ports have exceeded pre epidemic levels in cargo volume; Practically implementing the "Guantie Tong" project, actively promoting mutual recognition and cooperation between "single window" and "certified operators" (AEOs) in international trade, and committed to improving the level of regional trade facilitation. In addition, efforts are being made to open new ports and upgrade ports, actively promoting regional connectivity. On the other hand, we will focus on expanding opening up to the outside world. In order to promote the development of agricultural and sideline product trade, the customs has continued to expand the "green channel" for rapid clearance of agricultural and sideline products, and has opened 8 "green channels" for rapid clearance of agricultural and sideline products to Central Asian countries, achieving full coverage of road ports. Actively promoting the export of high-quality agricultural products such as grains, fruits, oilseeds, dairy products, and livestock products from Central Asian countries to China. Currently, more than a hundred types of agricultural products from Central Asian countries can be exported to China, and over 4000 registered enterprises have been approved, injecting vitality into the trade of agricultural products.

Over the past 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five Central Asian countries, China has continuously deepened practical economic and trade cooperation, built a rich, dynamic, and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationship, and achieved tangible and significant cooperation results. "Shu Jueting, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, said at a routine press conference recently.

The institutional arrangements are gradually improving. In 2022, the heads of state of China and the five Central Asian countries jointly announced the creation of a community with a shared future between China and Central Asia. Within the framework of the China Central Asian Cooperation Mechanism, the economic and trade ministers of the six countries held the "China Central Asian Five Countries" Economic and Trade Ministers' Meeting on April 18 this year, exchanging views on trade and investment, digital economy, green development, connectivity, multilateral and local cooperation. Up to now, China and Central Asian countries have signed cooperation documents to jointly build the "the Belt and Road", formulated medium and long-term economic and trade cooperation plans, signed investment protection agreements, and the economic and trade cooperation mechanism has become increasingly complete.

Investment cooperation benefits all parties. According to customs data, as of the end of March this year, China's direct investment stock in the five Central Asian countries exceeded 15 billion US dollars, with a cumulative completed engineering contracting turnover of 63.9 billion US dollars. By continuously promoting cooperation in infrastructure, oil and gas mining, processing and manufacturing, healthcare, education and technology, digital economy, and other fields, a number of major projects have been successfully implemented, helping Central Asian countries upgrade their industries, achieve connectivity, and improve their livelihoods.