A major new trade opportunity could soon open for businesses across the Organization of Turkic States, as talks advance on giving companies access to hundreds of thousands of retail outlets in China.

The potential expansion was announced by President of the National Association of Cooperatives and Other Forms of Economic Communities of Kazakhstan Kazybek Shaikh during a business forum titled “Economic Integration of Turkic Countries: A Unified Cooperation Platform as a Driver of Economic Development”, The Caspian Post reports via Kazinform.

Shaikh said the National Association of Cooperatives and Other Forms of Economic Communities and the Foreign Trade Chamber of the Turkic Union are preparing to sign a cooperation agreement aimed at expanding market access for regional producers.

He noted that Kazakhstan has already signed a deal with the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, which reportedly grants Kazakh entrepreneurs free shelf space in around 341,000 retail stores across China.

Now, discussions are underway to extend similar opportunities to other Turkic economies, potentially unlocking large-scale access to one of the world’s biggest consumer markets.

Shaikh emphasized that countries across Central Asia and the wider Turkic world are actively strengthening trade links with both China and Türkiye, reshaping regional supply chains and investment flows.

He described Kazakhstan as a strategic bridge to China and the Asia-Pacific region, while Türkiye is increasingly seen as a gateway to major European markets.

He noted that shifting global economic conditions are pushing countries toward deeper industrial and trade cooperation to boost competitiveness and shared growth.

Trade between Kazakhstan and other members of the Organization of Turkic States has already reached nearly $13 billion, highlighting the rapid expansion of intra-regional commerce.

Further integration initiatives, including environmental and economic coordination efforts, are expected to follow as cooperation within the bloc accelerates.