From September 15 to 17, 2026, customs officials from China and Central Asian nations gathered at a customs forum in the People’s Republic of China to lay the foundation for a new digital customs control ecosystem.
A delegation from the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan attended the First Meeting of the Working Group as observers, joining counterparts from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan to discuss advanced risk management technologies, artificial intelligence algorithms, and smart data analytics.
The primary outcome of the meeting was the agreement on a draft “Procedure of Cooperation” for the reliable exchange of information between customs administrations. Scheduled for signing during the Third “Central Asia – China” Summit in 2027, this strategic mechanism aims to significantly accelerate cross-border cargo clearance, enhance control reliability, and make regional trade routes even safer and more transparent. As an initial practical step, the parties agreed to launch a pilot information exchange and to hold the next meeting in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Participation as observers provided the Turkmen side with an opportunity to study leading international practices and formulate a set of concrete initiatives to modernize the national customs system.