In September 2019, China and Kazakhstan raised their bilateral relations to the level of eternal comprehensive strategic partnership. At the end of 2023, the agreement on visa-free regime between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of China entered into force. Year 2024 was proclaimed the Year of Tourism of Kazakhstan in China. According to China's General Administration of Customs, in 11 months of 2024, commodity turnover between the two countries exceeded $40.1 billion, having increased by 8.7%. Chinese companies, including the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Sinopec, are deeply involved in Kazakhstan’s oil and gas industry. Baiterek National Management Holding has partnered with Chinese financial institutions such as the China Development Bank and China International Capital Corporation to finance projects in Kazakhstan. As of July 2024, 139 of the 707 projects in Kazakhstan’s national pool involve foreign participation. China also voiced readiness to assist Kazakhstan in the nuclear power plant construction. Of the total number of foreign projects, China is the second-largest foreign investor in Kazakhstan, with 30 projects worth approximately $5.2 billion. Russia leads with 32 projects worth $12.5 billion.
Nearly 5,000 companies with Chinese participation are registered in Kazakhstan. The number of such enterprises has recently surged, reflecting China’s strategic interest in the country’s resource and industrial sectors. Chinese companies mainly focus on the mining, energy, and manufacturing industries, according to a Dec. 20 report by Halyk Finance Research.
Chinese joint ventures
Chinese companies, including the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Sinopec, are deeply involved in Kazakhstan’s oil and gas industry. They account for approximately 24% of the country’s total oil production. These companies target mature fields such as Zhanazhol and those in the Mangystau and Kyzylorda Regions, using enhanced oil recovery technologies to prolong their operational life.
Key examples are CNPC-AktobeMunaiGas and MangystauMunaiGas, major players in oil and gas production; Buzachi Operating LTD, which successfully developed the Northern Buzachi field; Petro Kazakhstan and the Aktau bitumen plant, which invest in oil refining; and a logistics terminal in Lianyungang, a transport hub linking Kazakhstan and China.
Joint Projects program
Kazakhstan and China launched a joint projects program in 2015 to implement 52 projects worth $21.1 billion in sectors such as metallurgy, oil refining, chemical production, mechanical engineering, electric power, and agriculture. From 2015 to 2022, 25 projects valued at $7.4 billion were completed. Nine additional projects worth $2.3 billion are underway, and 18 are under consideration.
Among the major projects implemented are a $2.6 billion collaboration between Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries and China National Chemical Engineering Co. on polypropylene production and a $2.1 billion investment in the reconstruction of the Shymkent Oil Refinery.
Government development plans
Baiterek National Management Holding has partnered with Chinese financial institutions such as the China Development Bank and China International Capital Corporation to finance projects in Kazakhstan. As of July 2024, 139 of the 707 projects in Kazakhstan’s national pool involve foreign participation.
Of the total number of foreign projects, China is the second-largest foreign investor in Kazakhstan, with 30 projects worth approximately $5.2 billion. Russia leads with 32 projects worth $12.5 billion.
[Wiew Source]
Meanwhile, the Club of the Friends of Kazakhstan in China held its seventh meeting in Beijing
The meeting held on December 20, 2024, enabled the participants to exchange opinions on the ongoing reforms in Kazakhstan and discuss further prospects for the Kazakh-Chinese relations development.
Assistant Foreign Minister of China Liu Bin, former ambassadors of China to Kazakhstan Yao Peisheng and Le Yucheng, heads of Chinese scientific and research centers specializing in Eurasia, as well as the representatives of government agencies and academic communities were invited to the event.
In his welcoming remarks, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to China Shakhrat Nuryshev informed the participants of the main goals of the reforms initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the Kazakhstan-China cooperation results in 2024.
The Ambassador noted that China remains one of the largest trade and investment partners of Kazakhstan.
According to China's General Administration of Customs, in 11 months of 2024, commodity turnover between the two countries exceeded $40.1 billion, having increased by 8.7%.
In turn, the members of the Club shared their views on the current situation in the country and positively evaluated the reforms carried out in line with A Fair Kazakhstan concept.
Assistant Foreign Minister of China Liu Bin underlined that intensive highest- and high-level contacts boosted dynamic development in all areas of cooperation. He pointed out effective interaction between Kazakhstan and China within such multilateral structures as the UN, SCO, CICA and Central Asia-China format, which promotes efficient protection of common interests in the field of security and development to ensure peace and stability in the region.
The meeting participants highlighted the importance of quality implementation of the agreements reached by the heads of state during the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Kazakhstan in July 2024, which, undoubtedly, will give a new impetus to the bilateral relations development.
Upon completion of the meeting, the members of the Club of Friends of Kazakhstan in China exchanged views on the new possible approaches to further deepening of cooperation in politics, trade-investment and cultural-humanitarian interaction.
Established in 2015, the Club of Friends of Kazakhstan consists of prominent statesmen, employees of government agencies, academic, expert, commercial and public communities of China.
Earlier, Kazinform reported that a monograph titled "A Fair Kazakhstan and the Chinese Dream: an analysis of the opportunities and prospects of a modern development strategy" was presented in Beijing. The book, published by the Institute of Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies of the Science Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Science and Higher Education, features articles authored by approximately 30 well-known Kazakh, Chinese experts and scholars.
China also voiced readiness to assist Kazakhstan in the nuclear power plant construction.
Investment agreement signed for China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project
On Dec. 21, the Kyrgyz Council of Ministers and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Company signed the investment agreement.
The agreement was signed by Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Transport and Communications, Absattar Syrgabaev, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Company, Zhong Shengui.
Kyrgyzstan's Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of the Ministers and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Food Processing, Bakyt Torobayev, said that by signing this investment agreement for the design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, the long and challenging negotiation process has transitioned into the practical phase of implementing such a large-scale infrastructure project of regional and international significance.
"I want to congratulate everyone on successfully completing the joint work to finalize the investment agreement we are signing today. This progress would not have been possible without the support and determination of our countries' leaders. Only with their full backing do we have the opportunity to sign one of the cornerstone documents of this project," Torobayev said.
The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railroad, 486 kilometers long, will connect the following points: Kashgar-Torugart-Makmal-Jalal-Abad-Andijan. This new rail network will be of immense importance to the entire region and will provide a wider range of opportunities for the global trading system by providing reliable and safe infrastructure.
The construction originates from an agreement among China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, signed on June 6 of this year, to facilitate the railway project and address financing concerns. On July 26, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Company came into existence.
The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railroad now has a design capacity of 10–12 million tons of cargo annually.
The construction of the railway is expected to begin on December 27, 2024.
Monograph on Kazakh-Chinese relations development presented in Beijing
On Dec. 21, the collective monograph “An Equitable Kazakhstan and the Chinese Dream: An Analysis of Opportunities and Prospects for a Modern Development Strategy” was presented in Beijing.
“The collective monograph reflects an unbiased view of experts on the Kazakh- Chinese cooperation. Among the authors are experts from Kazakhstan and China specializing in the study of bilateral relations,” said Serik Seidumanov, Director of the Institute of Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies of the Science Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Science and Higher Education, in his welcoming speech.
Seidumanov said Kazakhstan and China enjoy cooperation within such international organizations, like SCO and CICA, and interact within the "Central Asia and China" format.
The book, published by the Institute of Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies of the Science Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Science and Higher Education, features articles authored by approximately 30 well-known Kazakh, Chinese experts and scholars.
Ambassador of Kazakhstan to China Shakhrat Nuryshev, Assistant Foreign Minister of China Liu Bin, former ambassadors of China to Kazakhstan, and heads of leading Chinese scientific and research centers were invited to the presentation.
In September 2019, China and Kazakhstan raised their bilateral relations to the level of eternal comprehensive strategic partnership.
At the end of 2023, the agreement on visa-free regime between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of China entered into force.
Year 2024 was proclaimed the Year of Tourism of Kazakhstan in China.
The Times of Central Asia: Kazakhstan and China digitalize customs procedures on Middle Corridor
According to the Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), Kazakhstan’s national railway company, has announced the digitalization of customs declaration procedures for transit cargo along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, at the border between Kazakhstan and China.
In collaboration with Global DTC, KTZ Express – a subsidiary of KTZ – has launched the Tez Customs digital platform. This system transitions customs operations to a paperless format, reducing processing time to just 30 minutes after a train’s arrival at the border station.
The platform enables preliminary preparation of documents, automatic registration, and issuance of transit declarations. These capabilities optimize logistics processes, enhance transparency at all stages of customs clearance, and significantly reduce the time required for customs operations.
Since May 2024, Tez Customs has fully automated customs clearance processes for transit cargo along the China–Central Asia route via Kazakhstan, specifically along the Altynkol-Saryagash section. In October 2024, its scope was expanded to include cargo transported along the Middle Corridor.
To date, Tez Customs has processed over 54,000 transit declarations on the China to Central Asia route and more than 5,000 declarations on the TITR.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route serves as a critical link between China and Europe, passing through Kazakhstan and the Caucasus. More than 80% of all land cargo transported from China to Europe travels through Kazakhstan, according to Kazakh statistics.
During the first nine months of 2024, the volume of cargo transported along the Middle Corridor increased by 23% compared to the entirety of the previous year, reaching 3.4 million tons. Projections suggest that by 2030, this figure will rise to 10 million tons annually.
The digitalization of customs procedures via Tez Customs represents a significant advancement in the efficiency and transparency of transit operations on the TITR. This innovation reinforces Kazakhstan’s position as a vital transit hub for trade between China, Central Asia, and Europe, while also supporting the continued growth of cargo volumes along the Middle Corridor.
Comments