Bilateral Meeting on Industrial and Logistics Cooperation between Kazakhstan and China Held in Astana

Astana, June 16, 2025 – As part of the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Kazakhstan, a bilateral meeting took place between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov and Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China Zhou Haibin.

The parties discussed prospects for deepening trade, economic, and industrial cooperation. It was emphasized that China remains Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner – in 2024, the trade turnover between the two countries reached 43.8 billion US dollars. Kazakhstan and China aim to double this figure in the coming years, bringing it to 100 billion dollars. In this context, the parties discussed measures to diversify the range of traded goods, promote non-commodity exports, and reduce border barriers.

The topic of implementing joint investment projects was also raised. Currently, the Kazakhstan-China partnership portfolio includes over 224 projects worth around 66.5 billion dollars, creating more than 50,000 jobs. These include large-scale initiatives in energy, agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, and new technologies. The parties agreed to accelerate the launch of new high value-added joint ventures.

Deputy Minister Kuantyrov emphasized that cooperation with China in the fields of industry and logistics is one of the key priorities of Kazakhstan’s foreign economic policy. He noted that the successful development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR or Middle Corridor) and its integration with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) open significant opportunities for deepening cooperation and increasing mutual investment.

“Today, Kazakhstan plays a key role in facilitating transit flows between China and Europe – over 80% of all land-based cargo shipments from China to the EU pass through our territory. We view China not only as a geographically close neighbor but also as a strategic partner with shared economic interests. The development of the Middle Corridor and its connection with the Belt and Road Initiative allow us not only to enhance our transit potential, but also to build full-fledged production alliances that strengthen the resilience of the regional economy,” emphasized Kuantyrov.

In turn, Zhou Haibin noted that Kazakhstan occupies a central place in the logistics architecture of Eurasia. “We regard Kazakhstan as a key partner in the Belt and Road Initiative. The cooperation between our countries is built on mutual trust and pragmatism. Importantly, Kazakhstan not only ensures the stable transit of Chinese goods, but is also becoming a vital link in the creation of joint production and logistics chains. We intend to further strengthen collaboration in infrastructure, energy, and the green economy, opening new horizons for the region’s sustainable development,” he said.

Following the meeting, the parties expressed their readiness to deepen cooperation, expand the project portfolio, and develop new forms of engagement in strategically important sectors.