On the vast grasslands of Central Asia, an experiment on future urban construction is unfolding. On June 9, 2026, Kazakhstani Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozombayev flew to Shenzhen and held a meeting with Shenzhen Mayor Tan Weizhong to determine the fate of this new city. This is not just a diplomatic visit, but also a 'apprenticeship'. Harbin not only established a new positioning of Alatau City as a benchmark for Shenzhen, but also deeply borrowed Shenzhen's experience at the legislative level, attempting to replicate a "scientific and technological innovation miracle" belonging to Central Asia on this land only 180 kilometers away from the Chinese border.

Top level design benchmarking Shenzhen

Unlike traditional urban planning, Alatau City has carried a strong "Shenzhen gene" since its inception. On May 8, 2026, the President of Kazakhstan signed a special constitutional bill, establishing a special legal system for this new city. This practice of granting special policy dividends to the special economic zone through legislation is one of the secrets to Shenzhen's early takeoff.

The positioning of this city by Kazakhstan is extremely clear: Astana as the political center, Almaty as the financial and industrial center, and the new Alatau as a benchmark for Shenzhen, targeting the super new city of science and technology innovation and investment. In order to accelerate the process, Kazakhstan has previously introduced South Korean companies to participate in the development. Now, with the addition of Chinese forces, a diversified international cooperation pattern has been formed, aiming to inject the most cutting-edge development momentum into the new city.

Cross border trade is growing rapidly

Behind this deep docking is the continuously rising economic and trade heat between China and Kazakhstan. Data shows that the bilateral trade volume between China and Kazakhstan has reached a historical high of 48.7 billion US dollars in 2025, with a year-on-year increase of 32% in the first four months of this year alone.

In this trade boom, Shenzhen plays a pivotal role. The trade volume between Guangdong and Shenzhen and Kazakhstan has reached 8.4 billion US dollars, but both sides believe that this is far from the end and the potential is still enormous. As a key node on the Belt and Road, Aratau is close to the border between China and Kazakhstan, and has the natural advantage of a cross-border logistics hub. With the advancement of the planning for the third railway port between China and Kazakhstan, this area will become a golden springboard to undertake the spillover of Shenzhen's industries and radiate the entire Central Asian market.

Four major tracks with precise empowerment

According to the agreement reached by both parties, cooperation will revolve around four pillars: logistics, digital economy, green energy, and trade and investment, to build a new pattern of cross-border development.

In the field of logistics, both parties will jointly build a cross-border multimodal transport system; In the field of science and technology innovation, Shenzhen's cloud computing, Internet of Things, and robotics technologies will take root here; In terms of green energy, we will combine Kazakhstan's abundant scenic resources with Shenzhen's industrialization advantages to create a sustainable smart city. In addition, both sides will establish a normalized mechanism for knowledge exchange between government and enterprises. With the international platform of the year-end APEC meeting, Shenzhen will comprehensively export technology, capital, and governance experience, and truly build Alatau into a benchmark example for China's urban model to go global to Central Asia.Editor/Yang Meiling