Key facts
- China and Kazakhstan signed over 70 commercial agreements worth more than $13 billion.
- The agreements were signed on the sidelines of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai.
- Key deals include Central Asia's first battery manufacturing plant with CATL and a new Caspian port terminal.
- Bilateral trade between China and Kazakhstan has reached $49 billion annually.
- Kazakhstan handled approximately 85% of rail freight between China and Europe last year.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met in Shanghai, declaring bilateral relations had reached a "new historic high." During the meeting, held on the sidelines of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, the two nations signed over 70 commercial agreements valued at more than $13 billion (€11.4 billion).
Key deals include the establishment of Central Asia's first battery manufacturing plant in partnership with Chinese electric vehicle battery giant CATL, as well as broader cooperation with Chinese automakers. Other projects underway involve a petrochemical complex with Sinopec, a corn processing plant with Fufeng Group, and a cotton-textile cluster with Lihua Group. Kazakhstan and China also agreed to jointly develop the country's first pumped-storage hydropower plant.
Trade between the two countries has reached $49 billion annually, with cumulative Chinese investment in Kazakhstan exceeding $30 billion. More than 8,500 Chinese-backed companies currently operate in Kazakhstan, making Beijing Astana's largest trading partner. Tokayev assured Chinese investors of a favorable business environment, legal protection, modern infrastructure, and a skilled workforce.
Kazakhstan aims to leverage its position as a transit hub, having handled approximately 85% of rail freight between China and Europe last year. Plans are in motion to expand this capacity with projects like the Bakty-Ayagoz railway line and a new multifunctional terminal at Kuryk Port on the Caspian Sea, to be built by China's Guoyou Materials Group. A joint venture to dredge the Caspian Sea was also discussed.
On the digital front, Kazakhstan is developing a Smart Cargo platform and has highlighted Alatau City, a new urban development focused on smart technology. Tokayev emphasized technology and artificial intelligence as national priorities, stating that competitiveness is now determined by these factors rather than solely natural resources. The two countries also signed a trade and economic cooperation roadmap for 2027–2030.