Shanghai, PRC
At a round-table meeting with representatives of the Chinese business community, the President expressed his sincere gratitude to Chinese partners and highly appreciated the eternal comprehensive strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and China.
– Our bilateral ties have reached an unprecedented level. Together we have entered the next Golden Thirty Years of Kazakh-Chinese relations. This is not merely a new stage of cooperation, it reflects a profound transformation in the way our peoples perceive one another, with trust, genuine friendship and a shared vision for the future. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my dear friend, President Xi Jinping, for his personal support and steadfast commitment to strengthening our strategic partnership, – The President said
As the Head of State noted, strong political trust at the highest level drives the dynamic expansion of the economic and investment engagements between two countries.
– Last year, bilateral trade reached a record 49 billion US dollars, while cumulative Chinese investment in Kazakhstan exceeded 30 billion US dollars. Today, more than 8,500 enterprises with Chinese participation operate in Kazakhstan, including CNPC, CITIC and Huawei. We highly value the contribution of Chinese businesses to the modernization of Kazakhstan’s economy. Over the years we have successfully implemented many landmark projects that have created jobs, introduced advanced technologies and strengthened our industrial cooperation. Today we are jointly advancing a new generation of strategic projects, including an integrated gas chemical complex with Sinopec, a deep corn processing plant by Fufeng Group, and a modern cotton-textile cluster being established by Lihua Group. Kazakhstan has become an important industrial base for Chinese automotive companies. We have established production for leading brands, including HOWO, Yutong, and JAC. In September 2025, we launched a multi-brand mass-production automotive manufacturing facility producing Changan, Great Wall Motor vehicles, as well as Chery passenger cars. These endeavors demonstrate that our partnership is increasingly driven by innovation, advanced technologies and industrial modernization, – the President underlined.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted the symbolic significance of the meeting taking place in Shanghai – one of the world’s leading centres for science and innovation – on the eve of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference. He outlined Kazakhstan’s digital transformation priorities and identified key areas for technological cooperation.
According to the Head of State, Kazakhstan regards AI as one of the key factors of future economic growth, hence creates modern digital infrastructure to attract foreign investors.
– I would also like to highlight our Data Center Valley project in Ekibastuz - one of Kazakhstan’s flagship initiatives and a cornerstone of the future digital infrastructure of both our country and the wider Central Asian region. The project is designed to create a world-class platform for data centers, cloud services, and AI infrastructure. Investors will benefit from fully prepared sites, modern infrastructure, guaranteed energy supply, and a dedicated investment regime. Our ambition, however, extends far beyond building data centers. We are creating an integrated innovation ecosystem that will bring together supercomputing capacity, AI labs, research institutions, educational programs, startups, and export-oriented digital services. We are ready to explore a broad range of cooperation with our Chinese partners - from investment and technology localization to joint research, talent development, and the establishment of centers of excellence, – the Head of State declared.
The President highlighted the importance of further developing digital logistics and transport corridors.
– Kazakhstan has set a strategic goal of becoming the leading transport and logistics hub of Eurasia, connecting China with Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Europe. Thirteen international transport corridors pass through our country, while approximately 85 percent of all rail freight traffic between China and Europe transits Kazakhstan. Over the past fifteen years, Kazakhstan has invested more than 35 billion US dollars into transport and logistics infrastructure. We are constructing new railway lines and expanding the capacity of the Trans-Caspian Transport Route, widely known as the Middle Corridor. At the same time, in the twenty-first century, the competitiveness of transport routes depends not only on physical infrastructure, but also on the speed of data exchange, digital integration, and transparent logistics. That is why we are building a unified digital ecosystem for international freight transportation. Its flagship project is the Smart Cargo platform, operating as a single digital window that integrates customs, logistics, and commercial services into one seamless digital environment. Our objective is to create a single digital transport space across Eurasia, where goods move across borders almost as easily as data moves across networks today. I am confident that Kazakhstan and China can together establish new global standards for the efficiency of international trade. I invite Chinese technology companies, logistics operators, and infrastructure investors to join us in this ambitious initiative, – Kassym-Jomart Tokayev pointed out.
The President also indicated the prospects for cooperation in the field of critical minerals. As he stated, Kazakhstan is endowed with some of the world's richest deposits of critical minerals, but the country intends to go far beyond the mere resource extraction, сreating value-added production.
Furthermore, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev touched on the opportunities in the spheres of AgriTech, artificial intelligence and food security.
– The world is undergoing a new agricultural revolution. Today, competitiveness in agriculture is determined not by natural resources alone, but increasingly by data, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies. Thanks to the adoption of modern technologies and effective sectoral management, Kazakhstan has harvested a record grain crop of 27 million tonnes for the second consecutive year. We continue to digitalize agriculture through the deployment of agricultural drones, satellite navigation, and precision farming technologies. Today, more than 200 agricultural enterprises operate as smart farms, while over 650 additional farms are actively introducing digital solutions. We are also establishing a national digital traceability system that will track agricultural products from field to consumer. Our ambitions extend well beyond increasing agricultural output. We aim to transform Kazakhstan into the leading AgriTech hub of Central Asia by developing a high-value-added food processing industry. To achieve this, we are deploying AI, robotics, and Industry 4.0 technologies. Intelligent quality control systems, automated production lines, and digitally integrated supply chains are enhancing productivity and ensuring compliance with international standards. At the same time, we are expanding modern storage infrastructure, including smart logistics centers, automated warehouses, and refrigerated storage facilities. We invite Chinese companies to become active partners in this transformation, the President stated.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev presented to Chinese business community Alatau city project, designed to be built on the Digital by Default principle.
– Alatau City will serve as a platform for deploying Smart City solutions, intelligent transport systems, energy-efficient construction, digital payments, and advanced telecommunications. The city is also envisioned as one of the region's leading centers for digital finance. We are establishing a modern regulatory framework for digital assets, tokenization, blockchain technologies, and the crypto industry, supported by a competitive legal and tax environment. Project participants will benefit from the ecosystem of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), which is home to almost 6000 companies from more than 90 countries and operates under the principles of English common law. I am confident that Alatau City will become a new destination for talent, technology, and investment across Eurasia, – The Head of State claimed.
Concluding his speech, the President expressed his confidence that Kazakhstan and China have a unique opportunity to shape the contours of a new technological era in Eurasia together.
– Kazakhstan is ready to offer Chinese investors a predictable business environment, strong investment protection, modern infrastructure, a highly skilled workforce, and comprehensive government support. Our objective is not simply to attract capital. We seek to jointly develop technologies, establish research centers, build new industrial value chains, and cultivate the human capital that will drive the knowledge economy of the future. I hope that today's meeting will become the starting point for new projects, greater investment, and a long-term partnership, The Kazakh Leader concluded.
The event also featured speeches by Li Lecheng, Minister of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China; Xi Guohua, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CITIC Group; Li Kai-Fu, Chief Executive Officer of 01.AI; Wang Jianfeng, a member of Huawei Technologies’ Supervisory Board and President of the Public Relations and Corporate Communications Department; Jiang Qinsong, Chairman of the Board of Directors and COO of Agibot.; Yang Bin, Chairman of the Board and President of Goldcard Smart Group; Luo Liguo, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ningbo Hoshine Group; Yu Huijiao, Chairman of YTO Express; Zhang Qihai, Chairman of Xinjiang Lihua (Group)
On the sideline of the business roundtable a ceremony of exchange with signed commercial documents has been conducted.
During the President Tokayev`s visit to Shanghai more than 70 commercial documents have been signed worth over 15 billion dollars in total.
The agreements cover various fields, including AI and digitalization, transport infrastructure, finance, the agriculture, manufacturing, and other high-tech sectors.
