Kazakhstan Ready to Consistently Strengthen Its Eternal Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
BISHKEK – 4 September 2026 (Xinhua) : Relations between Kazakhstan and China have currently reached an unprecedentedly high level. Astana is ready to consistently strengthen its eternal comprehensive strategic partnership with Beijing, enriching it with new substance and opening up new horizons for cooperation, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in a recent exclusive written interview with Xinhua News Agency.
The President noted that Kazakhstan and China are united by a long shared border and a centuries-old history of good-neighborly relations.
As a well-known Kazakh proverb says, ‘Those who travel the same road share the same destiny.’ It is precisely this kind of relationship between our two countries that meets the fundamental interests of our peoples and serves as an important factor of peace and stability throughout the Eurasian space, he said.
Tokayev expressed his sincere gratitude to Chinese President Xi Jinping for his warm attitude toward Kazakhstan.
Our ongoing political dialogue has become the cornerstone of the Kazakhstan-China strategic partnership, he added.
Our strategic partnership has become truly comprehensive, encompassing all key areas from trade, investment, energy and transport to industrial cooperation, agriculture, digitalization, healthcare, science, education and culture,” the President emphasized.
Tokayev said bilateral trade continues to set new records, with China ranking first among Kazakhstan’s foreign trade partners.
Transport and logistics have emerged as one of the strategic areas of cooperation. Kazakhstan serves as a natural link between East and West.
Together with our Chinese partners, we are transforming this geographical advantage into a modern transport and logistics infrastructure of Eurasian scale,” he said. “The development of the Belt and Road megaproject and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the construction of new railway lines, the expansion of dry ports and logistics terminals, and the modernization of border infrastructure are creating a fundamentally new configuration of transport links between Asia and Europe.
According to the Kazakh leader, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, occupies a priority place in bilateral cooperation and is becoming a crucial transport link between China and Europe.
Our common task is to make this route as competitive as possible. Therefore, we attach particular importance to the introduction of ‘smart customs,’ the digitalization of document flows, the synchronization of information systems, and the automation of border procedures,” the Head of State stressed.
Cooperation between Kazakhstan and China is reaching a new qualitative level. Today, it encompasses an increasingly broad range of areas from traditional cooperation in the real economy to the development of partnership in the digital economy, Tokayev said.
According to him, the technological dimension of cooperation is becoming particularly important. China holds leading positions globally in artificial intelligence, digital technologies, robotics, new energy sources and high-tech manufacturing. Kazakhstan, for its part, has embarked on a course of accelerated digital transformation.
The year 2026 has been declared the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Kazakhstan.
During my recent visit to Shanghai to participate in the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, I held substantive meetings with the heads of leading Chinese technology companies. We identified mutual interest in implementing joint projects in the digital economy, intelligent manufacturing, e-commerce, scientific research and personnel training. Technological cooperation can become one of the most important areas of the new stage of Kazakhstan-China cooperation,” he added.
Tokayev stressed that artificial intelligence should serve the development of all humanity. States should have equitable access to modern technologies, knowledge and computing resources.
On this issue, our approaches are aligned with China’s position. In July this year in Shanghai, Kazakhstan became one of the 29 founding states of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO). This is a significant step toward establishing an open and effective international system for coordinating countries’ efforts in the field of artificial intelligence,” he said.
Kazakhstan and China are also dynamically cooperating on the international stage.
We hold similar positions on strengthening the central role of the United Nations, upholding the principles of international law, promoting mediation and genuine multilateralism, and peacefully resolving conflicts,” Tokayev noted.
He emphasized that Kazakhstan firmly adheres to the One-China policy and opposes violations of the principle of states’ territorial integrity. Kazakhstan will continue coordinating with China within the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), and fully supports cooperation within the Central Asia-China format.
The President noted that the SCO marks its 25th anniversary this year. The organization has succeeded in preserving what matters most the “Shanghai Spirit,” based on mutual trust, equality, dialogue, respect for cultural diversity and the pursuit of common development. He described these principles as a “standard” for international cooperation.
Tokayev noted that next year will mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and China. Alongside official political and economic ties, direct people-to-people contacts between citizens of the two countries have also developed rapidly. The Kazakhstan-China Cross-Year of Culture in 2026 has provided vivid confirmation of this trend.
The Head of State noted that tens of thousands of Kazakh students are currently studying in China. At the same time, the number of Chinese citizens choosing universities in Kazakhstan is growing. Branch campuses of leading Chinese universities and Luban Workshops are successfully operating in Kazakhstan, while academic mobility programs and inter-university cooperation continue to expand.
The introduction of a mutual visa-free regime has provided a significant boost to tourism. In 2025, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Kazakhstan reached 962,000, an increase of 47 percent compared with 2024, Tokayev added.
“We want to show our Chinese friends Kazakhstan in all its diversity, modern Astana and ancient Turkistan, the mountains of Almaty and the unique landscapes of Mangystau, the Great Steppe and the heritage of the Great Silk Road, our music, national instruments, cuisine and traditions of hospitality. At the same time, Kazakhstan is discovering China with great interest, a country of ancient civilization that today demonstrates an impressive example of development,” the President concluded.
