Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev witness inauguration of the China-Central Asia poverty reduction cooperation center, the China-Central Asia education exchange cooperation center, the China-Central Asia desertification control cooperation center and the China-Central Asia trade facilitation cooperation platform in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

The China-Central Asia trade facilitation cooperation platform, based in Nanjing, was officially unveiled at the second China-Central Asia Summit held on June 17 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

The platform originated from the Jiangsu-Central Asia Trade Platform, which spans a total area of 23,000 square meters and began operations in September 2024. Jointly developed by SOHO Holdings Group and the Xuanwu District Government in Nanjing, it was upgraded in April 2025 to a national initiative to facilitate trade and cooperation with Central Asia, as approved by the Ministry of Commerce.

The platform aims to promote the import of agricultural products, minerals, and oil and gas from Central Asian countries, and the export of photovoltaic modules, new energy vehicles, textiles and garments, hardware and electrical products, and maternal and baby products from China. It will also host import and export commodity exhibitions.

Zhou Yong, chairman of Suhao Holdings Group, said that the group will accelerate trade through innovative models, such as combining the China-Central Asia freight train services with overseas warehouses and cross-border e-commerce.

Beyond trade, the platform will cooperate with universities for joint talent development, provide vocational training, and host cultural exchange events to promote mutual learning among different civilizations.