"Transparency and Visa Policies May Spur Anti-Chinese Sentiments in Kyrgyzstan"

Lack of open access to contracts as well as, transparency within Chinese companies’ investments and joint projects is creating distrust towards Chinese as well as resentment towards the Kyrgyz government among users of Kyrgyz segment of social media.

The recent introduction of a visa-free regime for Chinese nationals by the Kyrgyz government risks catalyzing anti-Chinese protests within the country.
Lack of a public awareness platform and non-involvement of local civil society in discussions on Chinese investment initiatives can cause distrust against Chinese companies working in Kyrgyzstan.

China maintained its position as Kyrgyzstan's leading trading partner during the first quarter of 2024, according to data from the National Statistical Committee. The statistics reveal a significant 68.2% increase in Kyrgyzstan's imports from China during this period. As of early 2024, 613 enterprises with Chinese investment were registered in Kyrgyzstan, out of a total of 3,992 businesses ever registered in the country. Among these, 162 are joint ventures, while 451 are wholly owned by foreign investors. Additionally, it was reported that 30 construction companies operating in Kyrgyzstan currently have Chinese capital involvement. On October 17, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers—Head of the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Zhaparov and then-Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Kyrgyzstan Du Dewen opened a capsule-laying ceremony on the building of ‘Manas’ trade logistical town near the capital city of Bishkek. According to Akylbek Japarov, there will be 30,000 retail outlets in this trade-logistical town, which will be located on 700 hectares of land, and a total of 4.2 billion dollars will be spent on its construction. The expenditure for the first stage is 700 million dollars. In other words, this logistics center can be compared with a large seaport.

However, this opening event outraged many social media users in Kyrgyzstan, including some Kyrgyz journalists and social media activists. A founder of the Temirov Live youtube channel, and an exiled investigative journalist, shared on his Facebook page the map, where possibly this trade-logistical center will be built : One of the primary concerns of many social media users regarding this joint Chinese-Kyrgyz project is that the plot of land released for ‘Manas’ trade-logistical town is arable and now to be used for the building of trade logistical town’s facilities. Furthermore, the primary concern of active Kyrgyz Facebook users is lack of public access to the full content of actual contracts signed between the Kyrgyz government and Chinese companies, which is causing a distrustful climate among the Kyrgyz people by creating various suspicions and allegations against projects with Chinese backed capital. So far criticism over Chinese-Kyrgyz joint projects is taking place on the virtual world of the Internet space and mainly, Facebook and Instagram platforms. Some social media activists have already labeled this logistical town project as a ‘Chinatown’ of Kyrgyzstan, which indicates overall growing Chinese influence in the country. Overall Kyrgyz people are concerned about growing Chinese influence since it leads to over dependency on Chinese investments. Moreover, using the name of ‘Manas’ for the logistic town (a famous Kyrgyz epos and a folk hero who fought against Chinese kingdoms in ancient times) has been irritating many Kyrgyz Facebook users; thus, they criticized Chinese investors as well as Kyrgyz authorities involved in this project for their cultural insensitiveness. Thus, there are voices of urging to change the name of it. However, according to the Economist.kg website , previously, this project had title called "Eurasian Trade and Logistics Complex," but under the updated agreement, its name had changed to "Trade and Logistics Town of Manas.". Additionally, there is a lack of detailed information about Mr. Kairat Kerimbekov, a director of Kyrgyz-Chinese Investment Holding LLC, on the Internet. However, later Mr. K. Kerimbekov appeared on radio program and mentioned that only 30 % of an entire land was arable. In any case, for Kyrgyzstan, 90% territory of which consists of mountains, an arable land is vital for its agriculture and food security. In relation with this, it should be noted there were conflicts between Kyrgyz people and Chinese companies. Kyrgyz authorities and their Chinese counterparts must not forget that on the past, January to February of 2020, there were already a series of massive rallies of locals in the At-Bashy district of remote Naryn, region against land release as well as, the construction of a similar project, the Chinese logistical center, which culminated in the cancellation of it.

Another major Chinese investment project with a lack of transparency is related to a waste management factory to be built nearby Bishkek. On March 29, 2024, a capsule-laying ceremony took place in Bishkek for a waste-to-energy plant expected to be operational by late 2025. The $95 million investment for the project is being funded by the Chinese company JunXin. Details about the project, revealed through framework agreements found on the Chinese stock exchange platform cninfo.com.cn, show agreements signed between JunXin, Bishkek’s mayor’s office, and the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers. However, these agreements include information that local officials did not disclose publicly. The project has faced an information blackout, with experts unwilling to comment due to pressures on independent research in Kyrgyzstan. Mediazona. Central Asia summarized key points from the agreements for transparency, presenting both a simplified summary and the original text for readers.

News on Kyrgyzstan’s introduction of a visa-free regime for members of group tours from China for 21 days also caused surprises and hot discussions among ordinary Kyrgyz Facebook users. Actually news about the free visa became publicly known on October 28 , during the meeting of Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Edil Baisalov with Chairperson of the All-China Women’s Federation Shen Yueyue at the 11th China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum. According to previous regulations, Chinese citizens can travel to Kyrgyzstan without a visa for up to 7 days, provided they hold valid visas for the US, UK (including Northern Ireland), and a long-term Schengen visa. It is not big news that China has become a major exporter of tourists in recent years. A neighboring Kazakhstan, which had also introduced a visa-free regime with China in 2022. But in Kazakhstani case, it was a mutually a beneficial bilateral interstate agreement, which meant China had also introduced a visa-free regime for 30 days to Kazakh nationals. In Kyrgyzstani case, there was not even widely public discussion of this government’s initiative on a visa-free regime to Chinese citizens. Moreover, this agreement is not mutually agreed upon; Kyrgyz citizens still need to apply for a visa to enter China. In spite of the fact that Kyrgyzstan shares immediate border with PRC, Chinese authorities did not include it on their recent extension of visa-free regime for 30 countries which came into force from November 30 There is also national security concerns, according to political expert Chynara Esengul, the (Kyrgyz) government should also take into account public opinion when making such decisions since there are also those who fear that after arriving on a visa-free basis, some Chinese citizens might remain Kyrgyzstan for uncertain period of time. Thus, a free visa regime may cause Chinese people to remain in Kyrgyzstan for a longer term, even not return to China after the visa term expires (21 days). Bilateral relations between China and Kyrgyzstan must be equally and reciprocated, otherwise it would not contribute into trust-building between people of both countries.

Given the numerous joint projects planned between China and Kyrgyzstan, establishing unified public platforms for discussing foreign investment projects and contracts is essential. Although there is a unified portal for public discussion of draft regulatory legal acts of the Kyrgyz Republic , it still lacks detailed information especially on Chinese-Kyrgyz joint projects and only has limited information on some international projects. Beijing and Bishkek must create an open access Internet platform in Chinese and Kyrgyz languages, where one can access to reliable data and updated information on on-going joint projects in Kyrgyzstan. It is in the long term interest of both, Chinese and Kyrgyz authorities to have a such data platform, which could contribute into transparency of projects in order to gain trust of locals and prevent any allegations as well as, anti-Chinese sentiments within Kyrgyz society in future. Tactical moves such as setting joint projects or appointing locals as middle level managers within Chinese investment projects in Kyrgyzstan will not guarantee that anti-Chinese protest would not happen in future. Only strategic measures and transparency of joint project and taking into account people’s concerns might work for the interests of both Kyrgyz as well as, Chinese parties.

Erkinbek Kamalov, a Senior Researcher of Research Center for Security and Geopolitical Studies (RCSGS.org) and U.S.-Central Asia Research Network (U.S.-CARNet) Scholar based in Kyrgyzstan