Central Asian youth flock to Xi'an to pursue entrepreneurial dreams

XI'AN, June 20 (Xinhua) -- When Sahedov Begench, a young entrepreneur from Turkmenistan based in the ancient Chinese city of Xi'an, checked in with his business partner Wang Yi in Almaty, Kazakhstan, over a video call, Wang reassured him that "everything is going smoothly," noting that despite not speaking English or Russian, many people in Kazakhstan can communicate in Chinese.

Wang and Begench co-founded a cultural exchange company in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Thanks to initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Central Asia Summit, trade and cultural exchanges between China, the five Central Asian countries and Russia have become increasingly active. Since its registration in September 2023, the company has experienced steady growth.

"After the successful China-Central Asia Summit in May 2023, we've noticed a stronger willingness among students from Central Asia to study in China, as coming here means more opportunities and better job prospects.

Even more noticeably, an increasing number of middle and high school students from Central Asia are choosing to study in China," said Yagshy Ayjanov, the company's business director and a young Turkmen entrepreneur. "In 2024 alone, we provided study abroad services for over 800 individuals, the majority of whom are from the five Central Asian countries."

In recent years, the steady operation of the China-Europe Railway Express (Xi'an) and the development of the Air Silk Road have significantly enhanced and expanded exchanges between Shaanxi Province and Central Asian countries.

With the gradual rollout of mutual visa exemption agreements between China and Central Asian countries, personnel exchanges have become increasingly convenient.

"Currently, we have partnerships with over 100 universities across China. Our business now covers the five Central Asian countries, as well as Russia, Belarus, Zambia, the Philippines and other nations," Begench said.

China has become one of the main destinations for students from Central Asia. As the eastern starting point of the Silk Road, Xi'an is home to many universities and abundant educational resources, making it a popular city for Central Asian students to study in China.

In recent years, many young people from Central Asia, like Begench, who came to China for their studies, have chosen to stay in Xi'an after graduation and start their own businesses.

At the Qinchuangyuan Technology Market in Shaanxi's Xixian New Area, a foreign youth entrepreneurship exchange event was held recently. Musarova Amina, from Kyrgyzstan, told reporters that she registered a consulting company in Xi'an at the end of last year. "We've already signed our first order. In June this year, a Chinese company looking to expand its business was planning a visit to Kyrgyzstan for research. We provided them with a full range of services, from consulting to translation," Amina said.

"Since May 2023, we have implemented a pilot program for foreign talent entrepreneurship, and so far, we have introduced 18 foreign entrepreneurship projects, most of which are from the five Central Asian countries," said Han Ping, deputy director of the technology innovation and new economy bureau of Xixian New Area.

"These entrepreneurs have a strong desire to live and work in China, and they often invite Central Asian businesspeople to Xi'an to seek cooperation opportunities. The exchanges between China and the five Central Asian countries are indeed becoming more frequent," Han added.

Matmusaev Doniyor from Uzbekistan is among these entrepreneurs. After graduating from Northwestern Polytechnical University in 2023, he established a trading company in Xi'an that exports Chinese products to Central Asia and Russia.

"We sell Chinese construction equipment in Uzbekistan, where some brands like SANY are performing very well. In Kazakhstan, we mainly sell auto parts, and Chinese electric vehicles are very popular there. In Russia, we mainly supply electronic products," he said.

Over the past two years, Doniyor's business has expanded across Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shandong provinces. "The direct flights between Xi'an and Uzbekistan have significantly shortened logistics time. Some of our electronic products arrive in just three hours via air, and we can clear customs the same day," Doniyor said. "For large equipment, we use land transport or the China-Europe Railway Express. The train service is also convenient and affordable."

According to statistics from the Shaanxi provincial department of commerce, trade between Shaanxi and the five Central Asian countries has been increasing annually. In 2024, the trade volume reached 8.575 billion yuan (about 1.2 billion U.S. dollars), a 48.1 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Riding this momentum, Doniyor has expanded his trade portfolio to include Chinese ice cream. To build trust with his buyers, he accompanied Azizbek from Uzbekistan on a visit to a Chinese ice cream factory in early April. Azizbek enthusiastically remarked, "Chinese ice cream is really sweet!"

"Sticking to just one industry might limit opportunities, but ice cream is a new project. We started selling it in March, with suppliers customizing the styles and flavors specifically for Uzbekistan. Since April, we've shipped seven truckloads, and the product is very popular," Doniyor said.

Currently, Doniyor's company has surpassed 2 million U.S. dollars in total trade volume with Central Asia and Russia. "My dream is to do global business. We're planning to expand our trade range and forge cooperation with the Middle East, Europe and the United States because Chinese products not only have a price advantage, but their quality is also improving, and they are being accepted by more and more countries. This presents a great business opportunity," Doniyor said. ■