No land for sale: Ministry refutes allegations of land allocation to Chinese companies

In response to a widely circulated video on social media featuring a government official from the Urgut district of the Samarkand region, the Ministry issued a formal statement. In the video, the official is heard saying: “Land belonging to those who don’t want to cultivate will be handed over to the Chinese.”

The official claimed that farmland belonging to farmers who failed to meet production targets for silkworm cocoons, grain, and cotton, or who failed to pay taxes, would be allocated to Chinese investors. He also mentioned that Chinese investors were already being introduced to land plots in the district.

In its statement, the Ministry reminded that, under the law, a farming enterprise is a business entity that uses land on a leasehold basis to produce agricultural goods and engage in other legally permitted activities.

Article 22 of the Law “On Farming Enterprises” clearly prohibits state bodies, organizations, or their officials from interfering in the operations of farming enterprises.

According to Article 24 of the Land Code, a land lease agreement may be terminated early only by mutual consent of the parties or through a court decision.

“Therefore, any attempt to deprive farmers of their land through external pressure, threats, or coercion is in complete violation of current legislation,” the Ministry stated.

Regarding the transfer of land to foreign nationals, the Ministry reiterated that land in Uzbekistan is the exclusive property of the state and cannot be sold or transferred into the ownership of foreign individuals or companies, as established by Article 16 of the Land Code.

“For this reason, any claims about allocating land to Chinese citizens or companies are baseless, legally invalid, and do not reflect reality,” the Ministry stressed.

A legal review is currently underway in connection with the situation in Urgut district, and the Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to the principles of legality, equality, and the protection of all participants in the agricultural sector.

“The attraction of investment and the introduction of modern agrotechnologies must be based solely on the principles of voluntariness, legality, and equality,” the statement concluded.

Farmers and entrepreneurs were urged to know their rights and to contact the Ministry of Agriculture or the prosecutor’s office in cases of unlawful interference in their activities.

In March, the Cadastral Agency had also denied reports alleging that Chinese nationals were purchasing land in Tashkent. According to legislation, foreigners are allowed to lease land but are not permitted to privatize it.