Kazakhstan, China enter new era of cooperation

Kazakhstan and China established diplomatic relationsin 1992.Over the past 30 years, Kazakhstan and China have firmly supported each other in defending their independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, supported their chosen paths of development and strongly opposed any interference in their internal affairs. Kazakhstan and China, along with other countries, jointly created the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) to promote regional peace and stability in the region and throughout the world, demonstrating the global significance of Kazakhstan-China relations.

In 2013, Chinese leader proposed the initiative of building the "Silk Road Economic Belt" in Kazakhstan, which has strengthened trade relations. Kazakhstan is the place where the initiative to build the "Silk Road Economic Belt" was first proposed and serves as the first stop of the "Belt and Road" westward.

Looking at the development of economic relations, the volume of Kazakhstan-China trade increased more than 80 times in the past three decades. Cooperation between Kazakhstan and China within this initiative has always been at the forefront among other countries, reflecting the complementary advantages and mutually beneficial nature, bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries. Kazakhstan is the largest recipient country of Chinese investments among the countries along the Silk Road.

With the opening of several China-Europe container train routes through Kazakhstan, the country has transformed from a landlocked country into an important transit hub in Eurasia. In the case of the mentioned plant, for Kazakhstan, it means filling the market with new cars, a significant influx of investments, new permanent jobs for Kazakh citizens and tax revenue for the budget.

More than 3,000 joint Kazakh-Chinese enterprises operate in Kazakhstan in the mining and metallurgical complex, manufacturing, energy and other industries.

All of this has significantly contributed to the development of economic diversification and the enhancement of production capacities in Kazakhstan. The China-Kazakhstan logistics cooperation base in Lianyungang allowed Kazakhstan to gain access to the sea for the first time, which not only increased the country's export volume but also became an international economic platform for transit shipments, warehousing logistics and mutual trade for Central Asian countries. Cooperation within the Belt and Road framework firmly links Kazakhstan and China together. I believe that the joint construction of the Belt and Road between China and Kazakhstan has entered a new stage of deeper integration and mutual stimulation.

For the past 30 years of diplomatic relations, Kazakhstan and China have firmly supported each other in defending their independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity; supported their chosen paths of development; and strongly opposed any interference in internal affairs. Both countries are committed to international nuclear non-proliferation, jointly creating the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) to promote regional peace and stability and jointly defending the international system with the United Nations (UN) at its core and the world order based on international law. This not only allows Kazakhstan and China to prosper and develop but also contributes significantly to regional and global peace and stability.

The author is a PhD candidate in International Relations at Shanghai International Studies University.

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