Within the framework of the "Belt and Road" Action Plan between China and Central Asian Countries, China and Kazakhstan have reached a significant consensus on cooperation. The two sides will jointly construct a digitized platform for grain trade and sign multiple agreements on agricultural cooperation. Capitalizing on the robust momentum of continuously high-speed growth in bilateral agricultural trade, the two nations are integrating the entire value chain—encompassing long-term supply, logistics and processing, and digital trading—thereby injecting new impetus into the stability of the regional grain supply chain and the deepening of strategic cooperation.

Mr. Kenjehanuly, Vice Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, held specialized talks with Mr. Liu Huanxin, Administrator of China’s National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration. During the discussions, the two sides finalized a series of pragmatic measures covering long-term contracts for grain and oilseeds, the construction of cross-border logistics hubs and "dry ports," exchanges on warehousing and processing technologies, and the development of a digitized trade system. Following the meeting, the parties signed a Memorandum of Cooperation, agreeing to leverage China’s national-level internet-based grain trading system to establish a joint China-Kazakhstan grain trade platform centered on soybeans, oilseeds, and edible oils, capable of supporting various trading modes such as competitive bidding and targeted negotiations.

Trade figures continue to trend upward; in 2025, the bilateral trade volume for agricultural products reached US$1.97 billion, a year-on-year increase of 36.8%. In the first quarter of 2026, this trade volume rose to US$697 million, marking a substantial year-on-year growth of 61.7%. During this first quarter, Kazakhstan’s exports of agricultural and industrial products to China reached US$550 million—an 82.4% increase—led primarily by items such as vegetable oils, flaxseeds, and sunflower seeds. To date, the two sides have successfully opened export channels to China for 34 categories of agricultural products, with the number of compliant export enterprises reaching 3,601, thereby laying a solid foundation for normalized trade operations. Keywords: China-Kazakhstan Agricultural Cooperation, Digitized Grain Trade Platform, Belt and Road Initiative.

The launch of this digitized platform will fundamentally reshape bilateral grain trading models, effectively reducing transaction costs and enhancing circulation efficiency. For Kazakhstan, this initiative serves to address and strengthen weak links within its agricultural value chain; for China, it further consolidates a stable and reliable source of grain supply from Central Asia. The two nations are accelerating the formation of a fully integrated value chain—spanning production, logistics, and digital trading—thereby propelling agricultural and economic cooperation between China and Central Asian countries toward a higher level of resource complementarity and mutual industrial benefit.Editor/Sunyaxin