On the railway line outside Almaty, a China Europe train full of photovoltaic modules and auto parts set off with a whistle and headed to the Caspian Sea port via Khorgos. Behind this route is the new picture of Kazakhstan China relations outlined by Kazakh President Tokayev in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency: the relationship between the two countries is at an unprecedented high, China has remained Kazakhstan's largest trading partner for many years, and transportation and logistics are clearly defined as strategic cooperation directions.

Trade and Channels

Tokayev used the Kazakh proverb "Together, fate is shared" to describe the fate of two countries living adjacent to each other. Nowadays, the trade volume between Kazakhstan and China has reached new highs, and cooperation has expanded from energy and agriculture to industrial cooperation and medical education. More geographically, the channel construction - under the framework of the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road", international transportation routes across the Caspian Sea have been listed as a priority by Kazakhstan, and the upgrading of new railway trunk lines, dry ports and border ports has been promoted simultaneously. This cross Eurasian corridor, combined with smart customs, information collaboration, and automated customs clearance, is turning Kazakhstan's location as a natural link between the East and the West into tangible transit revenue.

Digital and Intelligence

The focus of cooperation has shifted beyond physical industries and towards the digital economy. 2026 is the year of digitalization and artificial intelligence in Kazakhstan. Tokayev finalized multiple intentions with Chinese technology companies during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, covering intelligent manufacturing, e-commerce, scientific research, and talent cultivation. In July of the same year, Kazakhstan joined the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization proposed by China as one of the 29 founding member countries, agreeing that AI should serve all mankind and that technological computing power should be shared fairly. From the Chinese robot dog fire testing on the Almaty campus to the algorithm factory in the Astana startup park, the China Kazakhstan data intelligence cooperation has begun to give back to people's livelihoods.

Human and Culture

In addition to hard connectivity, soft connectivity is also heating up. After the implementation of mutual visa exemption, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Kazakhstan will reach 962000 in 2025, an increase of 47% compared to 2024. Tens of thousands of students from Kazakhstan are studying in China, and the scale of Chinese students studying in Kazakhstan has expanded. City University of Hong Kong and Beijing Language and Culture University have set up branch campuses in Kazakhstan, and the "Luban Workshop" has been put into operation. The "Kazakhstan China Cultural Exchange Year" will continue to be launched in 2026. Next year will mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and China. From the skyline of Astana to the ancient city walls of Turkestan, mutual gaze among the people is replacing one-way curiosity.

Tokayev emphasized in an interview that Kazakhstan firmly adheres to the One China principle and shares a similar position with China in the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the China Central Asia mechanism. When the containers on the cross sea route flash synchronously with the servers of the AI computing center, the permanent comprehensive strategic partners of Kazakhstan and China have written cooperation into the most stable growth curve in the Eurasian hinterland.Editor/Yang Meiling