In the busy industrial zone of Tashkent, a newly opened Chinese funded new energy factory is holding a groundbreaking ceremony, marking the continuation of a clear trend in Uzbekistan's foreign investment structure - Chinese capital is pouring into this Central Asian country at an unprecedented speed.

According to the latest data from the Uzbekistan National Statistical Committee, as of December 1, 2025, the total number of foreign-funded enterprises registered and operating in the country has reached 17900. Among them, Chinese enterprises, with a huge scale of 4873, firmly rank first among foreign investment source countries, accounting for 27.2%, becoming the most important window for observing the country's economic opening and changes in foreign investment structure.

High growth of foreign investment scale

The number of foreign-funded enterprises in Uzbekistan has shown a significant growth trend in the past year. Compared with the same period in 2024, the total number of foreign-funded enterprises has increased by 2450, with a growth rate of nearly 16%. This growth rate reflects the increasing attractiveness of the country's continuously improving investment environment to foreign investment.

In November 2025 alone, Uzbekistan added 305 foreign-funded enterprises, a month on month increase of 1.7%. These new entities include 281 newly established subsidiaries of foreign-funded enterprises and 28 joint ventures. This sustained growth indicates that foreign-funded enterprises maintain high confidence in the Uzbekistan market and are willing to expand their business layout in the country through various forms.

This growth trend is closely related to the economic reform and opening-up policies implemented by the Uzbekistan government in recent years. The country is committed to simplifying the registration process for foreign-funded enterprises, improving the business environment, and attracting foreign investment through a series of preferential policies, especially in key areas such as new energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure construction.

Chinese enterprises have obvious leading advantages

In the ranking of foreign investment source countries in Uzbekistan, China continues to maintain its position as the largest source of foreign-funded enterprises, demonstrating a clear leading advantage. At present, there are a total of 4873 Chinese funded enterprises in operation, accounting for 27.2% of all foreign-funded enterprises, which is much higher than other countries.

From the perspective of growth dynamics, the expansion momentum of Chinese enterprises is particularly strong. In the past month alone, Uzbekistan has registered 142 new Chinese funded enterprises; In the past year, the number of newly established Chinese funded enterprises has reached 1501, becoming the core source of annual increase in foreign-funded enterprises.

In contrast, Russia, ranked second, operates 3209 companies in Uzbekistan, accounting for 17.9%, but with a year-on-year growth rate of less than 5%. Although Russia maintains a leading position in the number of joint ventures, it has clearly fallen behind China in terms of overall growth trend.

Diversified development of foreign investment structure

In addition to the two major foreign investment countries of China and Russia, Uzbekistan's foreign investment source structure presents diversified development characteristics. Türkiye ranked third with 2109 companies, Kazakhstan ranked fourth with 1199 companies, and South Korea re entered the top five with 691 companies. It is worth noting that investments from other Central Asian countries and regions in Uzbekistan have also shown an increasing trend. There are 637 Afghan enterprises in Ukraine; The total number of UAE enterprises has increased to 404; Tajikistan has 386 households; India has 364 companies. The number of Azerbaijani companies ranked tenth is 353, surpassing 346 in Kyrgyzstan and 336 in the United States.

This diversified foreign investment structure reflects the improvement of Uzbekistan's geopolitical and economic status. As one of the most populous and economically largest countries in Central Asia, Uzbekistan is becoming a hub for regional economic cooperation, attracting attention from neighboring countries and a wider range of international investors.

With the deep connection between the the Belt and Road Initiative and Uzbekistan's national development strategy, the local layout of Chinese enterprises has expanded from the traditional energy and mineral field to a broader range of industries such as infrastructure construction, manufacturing, agricultural technology and new energy. This diversified investment structure not only contributes to the transformation and upgrading of Uzbekistan's economy, but also promotes the economic integration between China and Central Asia. Keywords: International News and Information, International News Network

The diversification trend of foreign investment structure, especially the leading position of Chinese enterprises, is reshaping the geopolitical and economic landscape of Central Asia. With the influx of more international capital, Uzbekistan is expected to further enhance its economic influence in Central Asia and become an important hub connecting the Eurasian continent.Editor/Cheng Liting