Against the backdrop of continuously deepening economic and trade cooperation between Kazakhstan and China, and increasingly close bilateral strategic partnerships, local regions in Kazakhstan are showing a strong willingness to actively connect with Chinese industrial capital and advanced technology. Recently, a delegation led by Deputy Governor of Aktobe Oblast, Abu Dhabi Karimov, conducted a series of intensive and pragmatic high-level investment negotiations in Shanghai. The focus of this trip is on core areas such as metallurgical industry, machinery manufacturing, and the construction of special economic zones. The aim is to systematically promote the optimization of the industrial structure and upgrading of the industrial chain in the region by introducing large-scale Chinese funded projects with industrial driving capabilities, marking a solid step towards more specific and in-depth regional level cooperation in production capacity between China and Kazakhstan.

Top management personally leads, government and enterprises collaborate to demonstrate sincerity in attracting investment

This work visit has high standards and clear goals, reflecting the positive response of the local government of Kazakhstan to the national "Bright Road" economic policy and the Kazakhstan China capacity cooperation initiative. The delegation is led by the Deputy Governor in charge of the economy, with core members including representatives from the management of the Aktobe Special Economic Zone and professionals from the Kazakhstan National Investment Corporation (KAZAKH Invest). This collaborative combination of "local government+special zones+national investment institutions" not only aims to comprehensively and authoritative promote the local resource endowment, location advantages, and policy dividends, but also demonstrates a systematic commitment to providing full cycle, one-stop service guarantees for potential investment projects from docking, landing to operation.

Targeting industrial upgrading, focusing on heavy industry and park platform construction

The content of the talks is highly focused, closely related to the key needs of Aktobe Oblast and even Kazakhstan's economic transformation. The delegation emphasized to Chinese enterprises the industrial foundation and development plan of the state in the fields of metallurgy and machinery manufacturing, and elaborated in detail on the tax incentives, customs facilitation measures, and supporting infrastructure conditions provided by the "Aktobe" special economic zone. Its investment logic clearly reflects a new development strategy for resource-based regions in Central Asia: it is no longer limited to raw material exports, but hopes to introduce Chinese capital, technology, and management experience to develop processing, manufacturing, and high-end production capacity locally, build a more resilient and value-added regional industrial chain, and achieve sustainable socio-economic development.

Early gains have been achieved, and project negotiations have entered the substantive stage

This trip to Shanghai has achieved tangible results and promoted multiple cooperation intentions. The most prominent development is that the delegation held special negotiations with Suzhou Hunan New Materials Co., Ltd. and successfully signed a tentative framework agreement on the construction of a ferroalloy factory in Aktobe State. The project plans to invest over 150 million US dollars and is expected to become an important industrial project in the region. Keywords: the Belt and Road news, the Belt and Road project information

In addition, the delegation also met with SUMEC Group (SUMEC), which has rich experience in the fields of mechanical and electrical product trade and engineering contracting, Liandong Group, a leading industrial park developer in China, and Shanghai Yudeda Urban Design Consulting Co., Ltd., which focuses on regional planning and urban design. They had constructive discussions on topics such as industrial park development, productive infrastructure construction, and modern urban planning schemes, laying the foundation for more diverse and in-depth cooperation in the future. Editor/Yang Beihua