The volume of accumulated foreign direct investment (FDI) from China to Kyrgyzstan reached $2.1 billion by the end of 2025, according to a report by the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), Eurasiatoday.ru reports
Chinese investment activity has increased significantly over the past five years, particularly after 2022, when China became the second-largest investor. In 2024, it became the largest source of capital for the country, submitting projects worth over $1 billion.
The main investments are being directed toward infrastructure: $150 million toward road modernization, $120 million toward energy, including 15 hydroelectric power plants, and $85 million toward the mining sector. A key project is the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway, where China has a 51% share and investments estimated at $3.5 billion, including over $2 billion in concessional loans.
In Kyrgyzstan's manufacturing sector, Chinese companies dominate the cement and metallurgy industries. For example, the Kant Cement Plant (Yatai) and the Southern Construction Materials Plant produce up to 2.2 million tons of cement per year, with investments of approximately $100 million. In the Talas region, Chinese capital has invested over $200 million in the gold mining company Alliance Altyn, one of the country's three largest taxpayers.
In light industry and the agro-industrial complex, Chinese investment is still more modest—around $45 million. However, China's growing presence in strategic sectors has raised concerns about the formation of quasi-monopolies and dependence on imported equipment and labor from China.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
January 13, 2026