As US-China Trade War Intensifies China looks to Central Asia
10 February 2025: Soon after China’s decision to impose retaliatory tariffs on US energy imports went into effect on Monday, a group of Chinese oil and gas executives flew to Kazakhstan to explore new trade opportunities.
As reported by China’s state broadcaster CCTV, the representatives were part of a larger delegation led by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), a semi-official trade group, which involved more than 30 companies in sectors such as energy, petrochemicals and industrial machinery.
CCPIT plans to organise more trade missions to help Chinese companies tap opportunities in the Middle East, Central Asia, Europe, Africa and other regions in fields including oil and gas, automobiles and agricultural machinery, the report added.
China has been deepening ties with emerging markets from Latin America to the Middle East in recent years, as it seeks to diversify its export destinations amid growing tensions with the West.
As the world’s biggest energy buyer, China is also diversifying its import sources to shore up its energy security. Kazakhstan is among its main natural gas suppliers.
Bilateral trade between China and Kazakhstan hit US$43.8 billion in 2024, an increase of 6.8 per cent year on year, according to data from China Customs.
