Chinese state-run broadcaster CGTN published around 70 articles and video reports highlighting relations between Beijing and Tashkent in late October and early November. The sharp surge in coverage may be tied to stepped-up US diplomatic and business activity across Central Asia, reports Eurasianet.
According to the outlet's estimates, the materials were issued in Russian and Uzbek, spanning political, economic, cultural, and social cooperation between the two nations. Eurasianet described the blitz as unprecedented, noting that CGTN operates under the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee. The stories featured government officials, business executives, scholars, cultural figures, and everyday citizens, portraying China as an appealing destination for doing business, studying, working, traveling, and starting a family.
One prominent example was the Beijing presentation of the Chinese edition of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s book, «Uzbekistan on the Path of Sustainable Development and Prosperity,» published by the People’s Publishing House. According to the Dunyo news agency, the event featured remarks by Liu Haixing, head of the International Liaison Department of the CCP Central Committee, and Hong Dayong, deputy head of the Propaganda Department.
CGTN also aired a documentary project titled «From the Yellow River to the Syr Darya,» which profiled individuals who relocated between China and Uzbekistan. Featured subjects included a Chinese entrepreneur who opened a restaurant in Bukhara, Uzbek student Farukh Azimov, who moved to study in Lanzhou in 2008 and remained there, and a Chinese researcher studying traditional Samarkand paper-making techniques.
Uzbekistan’s National Television and Radio Company co-produced the documentary. Its first six episodes were broadcast in Russian between October 16 and 21, followed by Uzbek-language versions rolled out by CGTN on November 2. Concurrently, the network ran stories on sister-city initiatives, cultural exchanges, and bilateral economic opportunities.
As Eurasianet noted, CGTN typically published only a handful of stories on Uzbekistan per month previously. The publication sees the sudden deluge as a deliberate ramp-up of Beijing’s media footprint to foster a positive perception of China among Uzbek audiences.
The likely political trigger, according to the Eurasianet report, was the October visit by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Samarkand. The top US diplomat held talks with the foreign ministers of all five Central Asian states in the «C5+1» format, met with Uzbekistan’s president, and participated in events with American business executives. Rubio arrived in Samarkand on October 18. According to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, more than 200 American executives attended the business forum. During a press conference at Registan Square, the Secretary of State emphasized that the United States intends to be a strong partner across Central Asia.
According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade, the visit yielded 54 signed agreements for projects valued at $12 billion. The deals span transportation, energy, critical minerals mining, the financial sector, and digital technologies.
Just before the US visit, on October 17, Mirziyoyev hosted Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Tashkent. The two leaders discussed expanding their strategic partnership, following through on agreements signed by their heads of state, and accelerating construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway. According to the Uzbek presidency, the portfolio of joint projects backed by bilateral agreements has reached nearly $60 billion, with the number of joint ventures surpassing 6,000. China remains Uzbekistan's top trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching an estimated $16–18 billion in 2025.
ℹ️ China leverages diverse tools to project its image abroad, including state media, social networks, and collaborations with foreign content creators. As Fergana previously reported, French daily Le Monde investigated Beijing’s practice of enlisting foreign vloggers and influencers to craft a favorable narrative of China, particularly by promoting Chinese cities to young global audiences through lifestyle and travel content. According to Le Monde, China operates over 150 «international communication centers,» the first of which was launched in Chongqing in 2018.
