The heads of the supreme audit institutions of Kazakhstan and China discussed digitalization and training a new generation of auditors.
A bilateral meeting was held in the Chinese city of Nanjing between the Chairman of the Supreme Audit Chamber of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Alikhan Smailov, and the Auditor General of the National Audit Office of China, Hou Kai. The discussions were organized as a part of the official SAC’s delegation working visit to the country.
The parties discussed the launch of the Young ASOSAI Excellency Program, the development of human resources and the digitalization of public audit bodies, the outcomes of previously conducted parallel audits, cooperation within leading international organizations, and other relevant issues.
Alikhan Smailov noted that Kazakhstan and China are linked by dynamically developing cooperation in the fields of economy and culture, reinforced
by long-standing friendship and mutual respect. Bilateral relations between the two countries are governed by more than 550 different treaties and agreements.
"The leaders of our countries regularly meet on various platforms, which highlights the stable and multifaceted nature of Kazakhstan-China relations," — emphasized the Chairman of the Supreme Audit Chamber.
The cooperation agreement between the Supreme Audit Institution of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the National Audit Office of China was signed in 2006 and updated in 2019.
Official delegations of the two institutions regularly meet in various formats to discuss professional matters and emerging challenges.
Kazakhstan auditors receive training at the Nanjing Audit University and enhance their qualifications alongside their Chinese colleagues through seminars and training sessions organized by the regional organization ASOSAI. Productive cooperation between the two institutions is also established within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Alikhan Smailov highly appreciated the initiative of the National Audit Office of China to launch the Young ASOSAI Excellency Program. He expressed confidence that the Program will make a significant contribution to training a new generation of auditors capable of strategic thinking and working with modern digital tools.
“The Supreme Audit Chamber of Kazakhstan places a high priority on developing human capital and digitalizing our activities. We are very interested in studying the approaches and tools used in China in the field of public auditing,” — said the Chairman of the SAI.
He added that in the future, cooperation between the two institutions could be developed through experience-sharing in strategic, environmental, and digital auditing, joint internships and training programs, educational projects for young professionals within the ASOSAI and SCO, as well as public audit and sustainable development initiatives.
"We are confident that combining the efforts of Kazakhstan and China in these areas will give new impetus to professional development and further strengthen our bilateral ties," — Alikhan Smailov emphasized.
In turn, Mr. Hou Kai expressed his readiness to deepen cooperation in the area of professional development for public sector auditors and to conduct joint parallel audit activities.
It is worth noting that the next meeting of the ASOSAI Governing Board with the participation of the supreme audit institutions of Kazakhstan and China will take place in 2026 in Astana.