Technology Integration and Joint Research: Priority Areas of Uzbekistan–China Cooperation

At present, one of the key priorities in cooperation between Uzbekistan and China is the development of collaboration in technology integration, joint research, and applied innovations.

Significant steps in this direction include:

• The Agreement “On Cooperation in the Field of Post and Telecommunications” signed on November 8, 1999, in Beijing between the Governments of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the People’s Republic of China;
• The Agreement “On Cooperation in the Field of Communications and Information Technologies” signed on May 25, 2005, in Beijing between the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China;
• A series of contracts concluded by JSC “Uzbektelecom” with leading Chinese companies, including:
  • the 2006 inter-operator agreement between JSC “Uzbektelecom” and China Telecom on the provision of direct transit services and leased communication channels;
  • the June 25, 2015 agreement between JSC “Uzbektelecom” and China Unicom on international telecommunications services;
  • agreements signed in June and July 2023 between JSC “Uzbektelecom” and Tencent;
  • the Joint Venture Declaration between LLC “UZINFOCOM” and H3C Technologies Co. LTD.

The broad scope of cooperation reflects China’s growing interest in Uzbekistan. From 2016 to 2025, JSC “Uzbektelecom” implemented large-scale projects to expand telecommunication infrastructure, attracting direct foreign investment and loans from Chinese financial institutions totaling approximately USD 700 million.

Within these projects:

• over 27,000 base stations using GSM/UMTS/LTE/HR standards were commissioned;
• modern broadband equipment for more than 3 million subscriber ports was installed;
• a nationwide transport network with a capacity of 40 Tbps was established;
• data processing and storage centers with a total capacity of 11.2 PB were put into operation.

Between 2017 and 2023, mobile operators Beeline (Unitel), Mobiuz (UMS), and Ucell (Coscom), in cooperation with Chinese companies, carried out several projects with a total value exceeding USD 500 million.

Most public services have now been digitized, significantly simplifying access for citizens. Notably, a project with Huawei was completed to establish a data center for the “E-Government” system at a cost of USD 58.4 million.

In outsourcing and IT exports, notable progress has also been achieved. By the end of 2024, 13 companies with Chinese capital had registered as IT Park residents, including SOLUXE CONSULTING, ZTE China, and ONE Cloud China Tech, all focused on export activities. In 2024, these companies exported services worth USD 455,400, and by the second quarter of 2025 this figure had risen to USD 632,100.

As of the second quarter of 2025, the number of companies exporting services to China reached 24, including MONTFORT CA, FINANCIAL CHAIN CORPORATION, SOLUXE CONSULTING, and others. During this period, service exports to China amounted to USD 7.4 million, compared with USD 2.7 million in 2024.

To further strengthen cooperation, an IT Park delegation took part in the Huawei Cloud Go Global Summit 2025, held on March 23–26 in Chongqing. During the event, IT Park General Manager J. Pak delivered a presentation on “The Development of Uzbekistan’s IT Industry and Conditions Created for IT Companies in the Republic.”

In addition, the delegation held talks with several Chinese IT companies, including Renrui Human Resources Technology Holdings Limited. Discussions focused on establishing a call center in Samarkand under the Zero Risk program. The company registered in Uzbekistan as RENRUI CA SERVICES and, on June 17, 2025, received IT Park residency status.