The China Kazakhstan Friendship Zone project was recently started in the Kazakhstan area of Khorgos International Border Cooperation Center, with a total investment of 587 million dollars. It is planned to build a complex integrating commercial logistics and digital infrastructure, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

One stop hub bridging the development gap

The project is located in the cooperation center's Harbin area and is jointly implemented by Chinese and Kazakh investors, with support from the Harbin China International Economic Development Center. As a modern multifunctional complex integrating commerce, logistics, industrial services, digital infrastructure, and business services, the project aims to address the current situation where the infrastructure in the Kazakh region lags behind that of the Chinese side. The joint chairman of the Kazakh side, Jangbur Akhmet Tekov, stated that the center will become an efficient cooperation platform for entrepreneurs from both countries, providing full process services from business negotiations to contract signing. The core highlight lies in the one-stop service model, which integrates functions such as customs, logistics, finance, translation, law, and settlement to achieve centralized coordination of trade activities.

800000 square meters of commercial complex and 150000 square meters of cold chain

The project is progressing in two stages. The first phase will focus on building a display and trade complex with a total area of 800000 square meters, showcasing goods from various regions of China, and supporting the construction of a 700000 square meter logistics center, including a cold chain system. Chinese Co Chairman Sun Jianzhong revealed that only the first phase is expected to create about 1000 job opportunities within China. The second phase plans to construct 150000 square meters of cold chain warehousing facilities to optimize the logistics supply chain. Hu Peiying, General Manager of Hainan Guanlan Yinhui Investment Company, pointed out that the total investment of 587 million US dollars will provide direct sales platforms for goods in various provinces and cities, promoting local production development.

Tax revenue is expected to double and promote trade growth

The project is expected to significantly enhance the attractiveness of regional investment, increase tourist flow, and promote cross-border trade development. The investor expects that the project is expected to double the tax revenue of the cooperation center in the Harbin region, and all related taxes will be included in the national budget. The project is planned to be completed by the end of 2027, aiming to create a high-quality China Kazakhstan cooperation project that not only has display functions but also demonstration significance, injecting new impetus into the economic and trade exchanges between the two sides. Keywords: interconnection, Khorgos

The China Kazakhstan Friendship Zone project is not only a hard connectivity of infrastructure, but also a soft connectivity of rules and services. By complementing Kazakhstan's regional weaknesses, the project will further strengthen Khorgos's position as the hub of the Central European Banliexi Corridor and provide physical support for the joint construction of the the Belt and Road for high-quality development.Editor/Cheng Liting