China’s Dongfeng proposes to build car manufacturing plant in Surkhandarya region

On May 16, the governor of Surkhandarya, Ulugbek Kasimov, received a delegation from Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co., Ltd — a subsidiary of Dongfeng Motor Group — headed by Fu Hao, Deputy Director of the Qingdao Automotive Research Institute at Jilin University.

The two sides agreed to hold in-depth bilateral negotiations involving experts to further explore the project’s technical and economic feasibility and discuss its potential implementation.

Photos published by the regional administration suggest that the Chinese company presented several models of electric vans, mini-trucks, and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs).

In January, Asaka Motors launched production of the Wuling N111 minivan. This seven-seater vehicle has been manufactured in China under the name Sunshine since 2012.

Earlier in May, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that UzAuto Motors would begin producing “low-cost” minivans at its Damas production facility in the Khorezm region. According to the president, the project — aimed at producing a Euro-5 compliant, seven-seat vehicle — will cost $100 million. Semi-knocked down (SKD) assembly is expected to begin in 2026, followed by full-cycle production starting in 2027.