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By Rehan Khan
ISLAMABAD, September 01 (APP): Uzbekistan is rapidly advancing its digital transformation through deepening cooperation with China in information technology, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, postal services, and digital education.
According to the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Islamabad, the partnership, built over decades, is now yielding large-scale projects that promise to expand infrastructure, boost innovation, and improve citizens’ access to digital services.
Since independence, and particularly over the last eight years, Uzbekistan has prioritized equal international partnerships and integration of modern technologies into public life. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has stressed that information and communication technologies (ICT) are key drivers of progress, noting that “the efficiency of all sectors is directly linked to digitalization.”
China has emerged as one of Uzbekistan’s most significant partners in this sector, with cooperation now covering nearly a dozen agreements. Recent milestones include a trilateral memorandum signed in March 2025 between Uzbekistan’s IT Park, Kazakhstan’s Astana Hub, and China’s Growth Vision Pro Ltd. to support startups, attract investment, and strengthen regional capital flows.
Postal cooperation has also grown. In the first half of 2025 alone, more than 226 tons of goods ordered from Chinese e-commerce platforms such as AliExpress, Temu, and Shein were delivered in Uzbekistan through “Uzbekiston Pochtasi” JSC in partnership with China Post and global logistics operators.
Education and human resource development remain central pillars of cooperation. Tashkent University of Information Technologies has forged academic exchange programs with leading Chinese universities, while joint projects with Huawei and ZTE have established a “Digital Education Lab” in Tashkent. More than 50 Uzbek students have already trained at Huawei’s headquarters under the “Seeds for the Future” initiative.
Major investment flows underline the depth of the partnership. From 2016 to 2025, Uzbekistan’s telecom operator ‘Uzbektelecom’ implemented projects worth around USD 700 million with Chinese financing, resulting in 27,000 new mobile base stations, nationwide broadband expansion, and advanced data centers. Mobile operators Beeline, Mobiuz, and Ucell have also executed projects exceeding USD 500 million in cooperation with Chinese firms.
Recent agreements show further momentum. In January 2024, companies from both countries signed 12 contracts worth over USD 1 billion to strengthen telecom infrastructure. In 2025, Uzbekistan’s IT service exports to China reached USD 7.4 million nearly triple the figure recorded in 2024.
Meanwhile, Chinese IT companies, including ZTE and SOLUXE CONSULTING, have established operations in Uzbekistan’s IT Park, focusing on outsourcing and exports. New ventures, such as RENRUI CA SERVICES – set to open a call center in Samarkand – illustrate the trend of Chinese firms anchoring themselves in Uzbekistan’s fast-growing tech ecosystem.
With expanding collaboration across ICT, digital economy, education, and logistics, both Uzbekistan and China appear determined to transform their strategic partnership into a long-term engine of technological and economic growth.