China intensifies investments in the New Silk Roads, focusing on Central Asia.

247 - China has significantly increased investments under the Belt and Road Initiative (also known as the New Silk Roads), especially in Central Asia, focusing on mining and metal extraction projects. Although the terms "Belt and Road" and "New Silk Roads" refer to the same global infrastructure project, the term "New Silk Roads" is more commonly used to highlight the revitalization of ancient trade routes that linked China to the rest of Asia, Europe, and beyond.

According to the China-Global South Project, a US-based research organization, the 150 countries involved in this initiative received US$124 billion in investments and construction contracts between January and June 2025. This amount surpassed the US$122 billion recorded throughout the entire year of 2024. Analysis by the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia pointed to an “unusually high concentration” of funding directed towards Central Asia, a region that stands out as a strategic destination for Chinese investors, especially in mining projects such as aluminum and copper. At the same time, the flow of investment decreased in other regions such as Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East.

Kazakhstan, one of the leading countries in Central Asia, was the largest recipient of these resources, with US$23 billion invested in the first six months of 2025. The largest project in the country was a US$12 billion aluminum complex, led by the Chinese conglomerate East Hope Group. This movement reflects not only internal economic pressures in China, but also changes in the dynamics of global trade, where secure access to natural resources has gained strategic importance.

The Belt and Road Initiative, or New Silk Roads, was launched 12 years ago with the goal of creating a vast infrastructure network, including airports, ports, highways, and power plants, through Chinese companies in partner countries. These projects are designed to benefit local economies by remaining in the host country for domestic use, creating a cycle of interdependence and strengthening economic and political ties with China.

For Andy Xie, an independent economist in Shanghai, the shift in focus to projects related to minerals and metals is strategic, as transport infrastructure has already been largely built in the region under the Belt and Road Initiative. "Minerals can be transported to China by rail," explained Xie, highlighting that Central Asia, with its abundance of natural resources, has become an area of ​​growing interest for Beijing.

Trade tensions with the United States are also a relevant factor. Experts believe that China, concerned about a possible US attempt to control precious minerals in the region, is seeking a "first-mover advantage" to secure access to these resources. Jayant Menon, a researcher at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, stated that "China may be more interested in protecting itself against a deterioration in trade relations with the US," which makes Central Asia even more strategic for the country.

Kazakhstan, for example, possesses vast reserves of 15 rare earth elements and other metals essential for the production of advanced technologies such as computers and cars, further increasing its importance to China. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will participate in a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on Sunday in Tianjin, China, along with leaders from other Central Asian countries.

American diplomacy is also paying close attention to this region, with the US State Department stating, through spokesperson Tammy Bruce, that the United States is eager to collaborate with Uzbekistan on "mutually beneficial opportunities for investment in critical minerals." However, experts such as Christoph Nedopil Wang, from the Green Finance & Development Centre in Shanghai, point out that large infrastructure projects like those of the Belt and Road Initiative require time to implement, which may mean that the trade war with the United States has "accelerated" China's actions in Central Asia, but was not the primary motivation.