Analysis of Trade and Commodity Patterns between China and Central Asia

Abstract

Central Asia is a key hub of the Belt and Road Initiative(B&R),of which trade cooperation is an important component and energy is a crucial sector.Therefore,it is of great significance to inspect the detailed commodity pattern and energy structure between China and Central Asia so as to promote their trade cooperation and accelerate the building of the B&R.This paper obtains data from the United Nations Statistics Department's commodity trade database with a period from 1992 to 2017 using the third revised Three-digits Commodity of SITC(SITC Rev.3)for commodity classification.Following the logical sequence of trade cooperation,commodity pattern and energy structure,this paper conducts in-depth analysis of the trade cooperation between China and Central Asia.The main results are as follows:1)The trade cooperation between China and Central Asia was continuously promoted with Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan taking the lead.In addition,China was generally in a trade surplus position,except for a trade deficit position to Turkmenistan.2)China mainly imported primary and natural resource-intensive commodities from Central Asia,among which products SITC2,SITC3 and SITC6 were dominant.In the same time,China mainly exported industrial manufactured products to Central Asia,especially commodity categories SITC6,SITC7 and SITC8.3)Oil and natural gas were dominant energy commodity imported from Central Asia by China,with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan as core on country scale.China mainly imported oil from Kazakhstan and natural gas from Turkmenistan.Western Caspian Basin and southern Amu Darya Basin are major sources of these fossil fuels.