BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 8. A Turkmen-Chinese business forum focusing on investment cooperation, industrial partnerships and direct business contacts was held in Shanghai on November 6-7, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan reported.
The forum was organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan in cooperation with TMT Consulting Group, as part of the country's participation in the ninth China International Import Expo 2026. The report says that it brought together more than 500 representatives of government agencies and business communities from both countries.
The event featured a visit to Turkmenistan's national pavilion at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, where the country's economic achievements and products of domestic manufacturers were presented.
In the course of the event, participants discussed prospects for expanding trade, economic and investment cooperation, developing industrial partnerships and strengthening direct contacts between businesses in the two countries.
Particular attention was paid to potential joint projects in the energy, textile, construction and electrical engineering sectors, as well as the introduction of modern technologies and diversification of bilateral trade.
The forum also included a presentation of Turkmenistan's investment potential and the conditions established in the country for foreign investors.
A number of bilateral cooperation documents between business entities of the two countries were signed following the event.
For reference, China has been Turkmenistan’s largest trading partner and its main destination for natural gas exports for more than a decade. The two countries’ economic relationship is anchored by the China-Central Asia gas pipeline system, comprising three operating lines that transport Turkmen gas through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to China. According to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bilateral trade reached $10.05 billion in 2025, with Chinese exports to Turkmenistan totaling $1.6 billion and imports reaching $8.45 billion.
Natural gas remains the dominant component of Turkmenistan’s exports to China. Chinese customs data show that China imported $8.41 billion worth of Turkmen natural gas in 2025, accounting for almost the entire value of Turkmenistan’s exports to the Chinese market. The existing three pipeline lines have a combined annual capacity of around 40 billion cubic meters, while the planned Line D is intended to increase Turkmenistan’s export capacity to China.
At the same time, both sides have signaled an interest in broadening economic ties beyond hydrocarbons. During a meeting with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in June 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for deeper natural gas cooperation alongside expanded cooperation in non-resource sectors, optimization of the trade structure and greater regional connectivity.
