China’s Leapmotor plans to launch electric vehicle production in Uzbekistan

The announcement follows a meeting on April 15 in Tashkent between Deputy Minister Ilzat Kasimov and Leapmotor Vice President Lei Ming, where both parties discussed the upcoming launch of a joint venture for electric vehicle manufacturing.

The negotiations focused on the prospects of deepening localization and increasing the share of domestically produced components in the final assembly. Beyond meeting the demands of the local market, Leapmotor intends to leverage Uzbekistan’s strategic position to expand its international export reach. Following the talks, the sides agreed to transition to the practical stages of cooperation to bring the initiative to fruition.

In a separate meeting, Deputy Minister Kasimov met with Chen Zhou, Deputy Director General of the Sovereign Business Department at the Export-Import Bank of China (Eximbank) and head of the China – Eurasia Economic Cooperation Fund. The officials reviewed the current state of financial cooperation and agreed to accelerate the implementation of ongoing joint projects.

Furthermore, the parties discussed the upcoming Uzbekistan – China and SCO Countries Economic Forum, which is scheduled to take place during the Tashkent International Investment Forum. Eximbank representatives confirmed their commitment to encouraging leading Chinese enterprises to participate in the event.

The diplomatic activity continued with a meeting of the Subcommittee on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Uzbekistan and China, co-chaired by Kasimov and the Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce, Lin Ji. The subcommittee highlighted a significant boom in bilateral trade, noting that turnover reached $17.8 billion in 2025, with a further 53.4% increase recorded in the first quarter of the current year.

Central to these discussions was the expansion of rail transport and the strengthening of Uzbekistan’s role as a regional logistics hub within the China – Central Asia framework. The subcommittee also reviewed the involvement of Chinese financial institutions in local projects and the introduction of innovations to improve the business environment. Looking ahead, the delegations coordinated preparations for the business forum in Hong Kong on May 5–6 and the interregional forum in Xi'an on May 20–22.