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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH - 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2789-6919/64/160-173
Chinese Projects in Central Asia
Kamran Shirinzade 
Abstract. This article examines Chinese investment and infrastructure projects in Central Asia, with particular attention to their implications for labour relations in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It asks how investment opportunities interact with national institutions, employment practices, and worker representation. The study uses qualitative document analysis and comparative case analysis of scholarly literature, institutional reports, and publicly available project information. The labour-related evidence is primarily historical secondary material, including a 2021 desk study, rather than a new survey of conditions in 2025. The country cases show that Chinese investment supports energy, transport, mining, and industrial cooperation, while reported labour outcomes differ by country, sector, and enterprise. The reviewed sources describe both functioning collective agreements and challenges concerning wage differences, access to information, working time, and union coverage. These observations do not establish uniform practices across Chinese-invested enterprises or a causal effect of investment on labour rights. The article concludes that infrastructure and commercial assessments should be complemented by attention to transparency, social dialogue, and compliance with national labour standards.
Keywords: Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese investment, Central Asia, infrastructure, labour relations, trade unions, regional connectivity
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