Kazakhstan attended the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) recently, focusing on deepening digital ties with China in areas like e-commerce, logistics, and cross-border investment. QazPost, Kazakhstan’s national postal operator, highlighted its partnerships with Chinese logistics companies, such as a joint venture with YTO Express that cut home delivery times from three weeks to 10 days. QazPost is also facilitating e-commerce tie-ups with major Chinese e-retailers, offering services from order placement to customs clearance and delivery.
The Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan is providing support for Chinese investors, including financial solutions for companies setting up export-oriented sites in Kazakhstan. KazakhInvest, an agency dedicated to attracting foreign investment, offers guidance on suitable production sites for different projects. The Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) has become a crucial bridge for Chinese investors, operating under an English common law framework and offering enhanced investor protection.
The center hosts over 3,200 firms, with Chinese companies ranking second in number. The AIFC provides tax benefits and serves as a “single window” for foreign investors. Fifty companies from Kazakhstan attended this year’s CIIE, showcasing local specialties across a 600-square-meter display area.
Kazakhstan deepens e-commerce ventures
Trade between the two nations reached USD41 billion last year, while Chinese investment in Kazakhstan reached an aggregate USD25.3 billion over the past 18 years. During a working visit to Shanghai, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov attended a Kazakh-Chinese investment roundtable and oversaw the signing of eight commercial agreements worth $2.5 billion.
Five of these agreements involved Qarmet JSC, a company owned by a state-owned private equity fund. Qarmet JSC, formerly known as ArcelorMittal Temiritau, has been at the center of controversy due to accidents at its mines and plants. The company’s new owners, QIC, renamed it to Qarmet and settled new deals with Chinese partners, predominantly in the coal and steel industries.
China pledged to enhance ties with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and strengthen cooperation within multilateral frameworks. Premier Li Qiang expressed China’s willingness to deepen political mutual trust, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and align development strategies with Kazakhstan under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Li also called for joint efforts to practice true multilateralism and promote global governance.
During a meeting with Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Li emphasized the need to expand economic and trade cooperation, enhance infrastructural connectivity, and explore cooperation potential in emerging industries. Aripov expressed Uzbekistan’s support for the one-China principle and the BRI, and its willingness to expand bilateral trade and practical cooperation with China.
