Business Council “Central Asia – China” Holds Meeting in Astana

Astana, June 17, 2025 – As part of the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Kazakhstan, the Second Meeting of the “Central Asia – China” Business Council was held in Astana, with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin and Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Ren Hongbin.

The event continued the deepening dialogue between the countries of the Central Asia and China, confirming mutual interest in expanding industrial cooperation, technological exchange, and investment attraction. Particular attention was given to the implementation of major projects in logistics, agriculture, manufacturing, and green energy.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov noted that the intergovernmental Agreement on the Promotion and Mutual Protection of Investments, signed the day before during the meeting between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President Xi Jinping, marked a significant milestone in the development of Kazakh-Chinese economic cooperation. The agreement provides a solid legal foundation for the protection of investors’ interests and creates favorable conditions for increasing mutual capital investments.

“Strengthening investment cooperation between Central Asian countries and China is crucial for the sustainable economic growth of the entire region. Yesterday, at the Second Forum on Industrial and Investment Cooperation, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and the NDRC of China, 58 commercial documents worth over 24 billion US dollars were signed between Kazakhstan and China. The GDP of Central Asian countries already exceeds 500 billion US dollars, with a combined population of over 80 million people. This is not only a vast market but also a solid foundation for deepening cooperation, creating new industries, transferring technologies, and entering third markets,” emphasized Deputy Minister Kuantyrov.

He also emphasized that China remains one of Kazakhstan’s key investment partners. Since gaining independence, Kazakhstan has attracted over 470 billion dollars in foreign direct investment, including 26.4 billion dollars from the PRC. According to him, these figures reflect the stable and strategically significant economic relationship between the two countries.

As part of the event, bilateral documents were signed. Notably, Deputy Chairman of the Board of NC “Kazakh Invest” Azamat Kozhanov and Vice President of the Central Asian and Chinese Association of Furniture and Building Materials Manufacturers Guan Peiyin signed a MoU. The document outlines a project to create an industrial park in Kazakhstan specializing in the production of household goods and construction materials. The planned investment volume is 100 million dollars, with up to 10,000 jobs to be created.