How Chinese Automobiles Won Hearts in Central Asia

　　Under the sunny skies of Astana, Kazakhstan in June, the streets buzzed with traffic—many bearing Chinese brand logos.

　　A local taxi driver, upon learning his passenger was Chinese, eagerly showed off his Chery sedan. "I bought it last year—great value and performance," he said, pointing ahead. "See that bus with 'YUTONG' on the back? Also from China. I spot Chinese cars everywhere here."

　　At a JAC Motors 4S store on Turan Avenue, sales manager Ruslan was demonstrating the popular J7P model to customers. "We’re offering attractive promotions," he noted, amid a steady stream of shoppers.

　　Since entering Kazakhstan in 2014, JAC has expanded across all five Central Asian nations, now boasting 100+ 4S stores. In Kostanay—Kazakhstan’s "Motor City" housing the Arul Group factory—JAC’s S3 compact SUV sells out within five days per shipment. "Young buyers love its design, safety, and affordability," said Vladimir, a sales director whose income tripled since becoming JAC’s partner in 2013.

　　The turning point came in 2019 when JAC and China National Machinery IMP & EXP Corp invested in Arul Group—China’s first auto-industry collaboration in Central Asia. By upgrading welding/painting facilities and training Arul’s staff at JAC’s Hefei HQ, the partnership boosted Arul’s annual output to 90,000+ units (60% of Kazakhstan’s total) by 2024. JAC’s local sales surged 50.2% YoY to 13,000+ units, with 6% market share.

　　A new CKD (complete knock-down) production line launched in September 2024 further localized supply chains, sourcing Kazakh-made batteries and tires. "This created 2,800+ new jobs—Arul’s workforce grew from 1,200 to 4,000," highlighted Sun Yafeng, JAC’s Kazakhstan project lead. Among them is 26-year-old Alexander, promoted from assembly-line fitter to technical supervisor with a 483% salary increase.

　　Changan Auto also shines. Ranking among Kazakhstan’s top 10 brands since 2022, it hit a monthly sales record of 1,500 units in May 2024. "We tailor vehicles to regional needs," said Huang Shuhao, Changan’s Central Asia channel manager, citing reinforced SUV suspensions for Kazakh roads and Kazakh/Uzbek-language infotainment systems. After conquering Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, Changan eyes Turkmenistan next—completing its Central Asian footprint.

　　As auto collaboration becomes a hallmark of China-Central Asia ties, such partnerships are fueling local prosperity and industrial growth—one satisfied driver at a time.

　　Source: People's Daily