On November 6, 2026, the morning in Navoi state continued to start with turning on the faucet. A trivial matter in the eyes of residents was put on the table for discussion that day: representatives from Uzbekistan's water supply company and Chinese companies sat together to talk about how the Navoi drinking water treatment plant project could move from the drawings to the construction site faster.

A glass of water on the meeting table

The meeting was chaired by Suwankulov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Uzbekistan Water Supply Company, and attended by representatives such as Li Yahong, Vice President of China Energy Construction Overseas Investment Company, and Chen Zhou, General Manager of China Eurasia Economic Cooperation Fund. Both parties should focus their time on the most practical aspects: where the project is progressing, how China Energy Construction Overseas Investment Company will develop it in the future, what are the possibilities for the fund to participate in project investment, and how much can be compressed in the preliminary preparations. All parties stated that they will accelerate the pre project preparation, promote further implementation of cooperation, and ensure that intentions are implemented at executable nodes.

This is not starting from scratch. China Energy Engineering Corporation has previously signed a memorandum of cooperation on water project investment with Ukraine; China Energy Construction Overseas Investment Co., Ltd. has also signed an investment cooperation agreement with a Chinese equity investment platform for the Uzbekistan water supply project, agreeing to jointly promote construction, improve the living standards of local people, and promote the development of industry and agriculture; Both sides also exchanged views on agricultural irrigation, water network renovation, and urban water network informatization upgrading. The meeting on November 6th was to consolidate the already laid out cooperation clues into a specific factory area.

Water account for industrial towns

Navoi Oblast is located in central Uzbekistan and is rich in natural gas, gold and other mineral resources. It has the Navoi Free Economic Zone and outstanding advantages in chemical, mineral, building materials, logistics, textile, new energy and agriculture industries. Its industrial growth rate and per capita industrial output value rank among the top in the country. The faster the industry and population gather, the more important it is to first calculate the inconspicuous facilities such as pipelines, water plants, metering, and scheduling. The Ukrainian side has also included the efficient utilization of water resources as a core task in the medium and long-term national development strategy, issued PPP regulations to encourage foreign investment in infrastructure, and clarified the needs for water supply networks, sewage treatment, smart water management, etc. in the national water strategy. As a national level water supply enterprise in Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Water Supply Company has recently been in contact with Chinese water companies, discussing smart water meters adapted to drought and large temperature difference conditions, as well as smart water systems and localized operation and maintenance. A water purification plant is precisely located at the intersection of these needs: serving residents and supporting the stable operation of industrial parks.

From energy to faucets

Chinese companies bring more than just construction teams. China Energy Engineering Corporation has established an overseas energy planning research institution in Uzbekistan and trained local technical teams through the Central Asia Lecture Hall; The integration of investment, construction, and operation, as well as the ability to cover the entire industry chain, provides opportunities for design, financing, and long-term operation to be considered in the same table. The combination of engineering construction experience, technical capabilities, and potential investment resources provides more complete support for the modernization of water facilities in Navoi state, and the water conditions for residents are expected to improve accordingly.

What is more worth watching is the change in cooperation coordinates. The China Ukraine project used to be more focused on economic, trade, energy, and transportation narratives, but this time it falls on the faucet that needs to be turned on every day. From the memorandum to the investment agreement, and then to the preliminary preparation of a state's water purification plant, both parties have taken the infrastructure cooperation one step further towards the civilian end. For Navoi state, this is the water supply guarantee during the industrial expansion period; For the two countries, this is a more detailed and closer destination for the joint construction of the the Belt and Road.Editor/Yang Meiling