Today, China has become the largest foreign player in its sensitive periphery, Central Asia. Beijing leaders, especially since the beginning of the new century, have tried to gradually increase their presence and influence in this region compared to other competitors such as Russia and the United States by announcing numerous economic, security, and political initiatives and programs. This increase in presence has been done in a gradual and multi-faceted manner according to the usual Chinese tradition, and therefore a direct link can be established between the foreign aid program of this country to the region and the development of its presence and influence. In this regard, the main question of the article, using the descriptive and explanatory method, is how China has benefited from foreign aid in the years 2000 to 2022 to advance its national interests in Central Asia. In response to this hypothesis, it is proposed that the Chinese government uses its foreign aid program in this region to advance economic goals (linking the economies of the countries in the region with their economic and commercial needs), security goals (shaping their desired security order and fighting Uighurs separatism) and political goals (expanding its influence and position in the countries of the region). The findings of the article emphasize the explanatory role of foreign aid in explaining China's policies and goals in the peripheral area of Central Asia, which has received little attention from experts.