China has invested more than $2 billion in Kyrgyzstan's economy

The volume of accumulated foreign direct investment (FDI) from China to Kyrgyzstan increased from $826 million in 2016 to $2.1 billion in the first six months of 2025. This is evidenced by analytical data on the structure of Chinese investments in Central Asian countries.

Kyrgyzstan's share in China's FDI portfolio in the region grew to 5.8% compared to 4.2% in 2016. This indicates a strengthening of China's investment presence in the republic's economy. At the same time, between 2022 and the first half of 2025, there was an acceleration in capital inflows, with the total investment portfolio increasing by almost 1.8 times.

The sectoral structure of Chinese FDI in Kyrgyzstan continues to be concentrated in the extractive and manufacturing industries. The raw materials sector accounts for 34% of investments (about $722 million), with an average growth rate of 4.5% per year for 2016-2025. At the same time, the manufacturing industry accounts for 37% of the investment portfolio (about $780 million) and is showing higher growth rates.

“This reflects a gradual transition from a resource-based model to the placement of production facilities in Kyrgyzstan,” EADB experts note.

In 2024–2025, the key “green” project involving Chinese capital was the construction of a solar power plant in Balykchy on the shores of Issyk-Kul. It is being implemented with the Chinese investor's own funds and borrowed resources, with institutional support from the Green Energy Fund under the Kyrgyz government.

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, implemented with the participation of China Railway International, remains a strategic infrastructure project. China's share in the joint venture is 51%, and the total investment by the Chinese side is estimated at $3.53 billion. Of this, $2.35 billion is provided in the form of a concessional loan by Chinese financial institutions. Construction officially began in December 2024, and the launch of traffic is expected by 2030.

The line, which is over 500 km long, more than half of which runs through Kyrgyzstan, is set to become an important transit corridor between China and the markets of the Middle East and Europe.

The investment portfolio is also complemented by projects in logistics and ecology. In particular, there are plans to create a coal logistics center, Xinjiang Dacheng Yuanlong Technology, in the Osh region, and to implement a project for a solid waste disposal plant in Bishkek with the participation of Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection.