In the Bulakbashi district of the Andijan region, a new Uzbek-Chinese cement plant has commenced operations, as announced by the regional governor Shukhrat Abdurakhmanov.

The opening ceremony of the plant took place on April 28, with representatives from the regional administration and Chinese partners in attendance. The production will be managed by the joint venture Shangfeng — Bridge of Friendship.

The 6,500-ton-per-day capacity plant was constructed with the participation of Conch International Holdings and Zhejiang Shangfeng Building Materials. The project received approximately $250 million in investments.

The enterprise has provided the regional economy with 750 jobs. It will be able to produce up to 2.5 million tons of cement annually and is expected to export approximately $10 million worth of products.

The agreement to establish a cement manufacturing unit in the Bulakbashi district was reached in October 2023. At that time, the Chinese partners committed to build two plants, which could export products worth $20 million per year and replace imports worth $15 million.

In February, Shavkat Mirziyoyev became acquainted with projects planned for implementation in the Andijan region in cooperation with China. The total investment cost for the projects, which include mini-hydroelectric power stations, housing, electric vehicle production, building materials, and pharmaceuticals, is estimated at $1.7 billion.