Central Asia, the Eurasian pole of inaccessibility, has long remained an enigmatic region, where vast landscapes meet isolation. The Central Asia countries want to take advantage of the Belt and Road Initiative to become a pivot transit point to connect Asia and Europe. Kazakhstan, the region’s biggest country, is one of them.
Former Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Dr. Kairat Kelimbetov said, “Kazakhstan is a prominent central player in the development of overland connections. The strategic geographical location of Kazakhstan renders it a vital transit country for the movement of goods between China and Europe and vice versa.”
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/LxGz0aUA_Pk
Enhancing Connections
Kazakhstan, the world largest landlocked countries, historically is the place where the world ended on both sides of the country. Now it is a major trading hub in Eurasia.
In July 2015, a groundbreaking transformation took place in the heart of Kazakhstan with the inauguration of the KTZE-Khorgos Gateway Dry Port. With mountains on one side and desert on the other, this $250 million marvel rose from the sands of eastern Kazakhstan, representing a mega project of the Belt and Road cooperation.
The Gateway Dry Port acts as Kazakhstan’s essential transport and logistics center and plays a pivotal role in connecting the markets of China and Europe, passing through the countries of Central Asia, Turkey, and the countries of the Persian Gulf. It has become a major dry port and transshipment point in the past several years.
With the KTZE-Khorgos Gateway Dry Port at its core, Kazakhstan aims to strengthen connectivity between China and Europe. According to the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy national railway company, in the first half of 2023, Kazakhstan shipped 8.3 million tons of cargo to China by rail, a 37% increase from the previous year.
Manabayev Ibragim, CEO of KTZE-Khorgos Gateway LLP, said, “the KTZE-Khorgos Gateway Dry Port was built on the basis of the Belt and Road Initiative. It connects us with the East and West via land routes.”
Deepening cooperation
The impact of this increased connectivity is evident in the burgeoning trade relationship between China and Kazakhstan. Chinese brands like Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi, Haval, Chery, and others have made their mark in Kazakhstan.
The trade volume between the two countries continues to soar. Based on the General Administration of Customs of China, in 2022, the total trade volume between China and Kazakhstan reached $31.17 billion, a 23.6% increase from the previous year. Between January and July 2023, the volume of bilateral trade amounted to $16.3 billion, including Kazakhstan’s exports – $7.6 billion and imports – $8.6 billion.
“Bound together by mountains and rivers, China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors, good friends, good partners, and good brothers,” said Xiao Zhang, Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan.
Ambassador Zhang added, “For consecutive years, China has maintained its position as Kazakhstan’s second largest trade partner, export destination and source of imports.”
This remarkable collaboration extends beyond trade. Under the Belt and Road Initiative framework, China and Kazakhstan have jointly undertaken 52 projects worth over $21.2 billion. China has become one of the major investment partners of Kazakhstan.
Dr. Kelimbetov pointed out, “Kazakhstan witnessed a remarkable surge in foreign investments in 2022. China’s contribution accounting for $1.4 billion in investments, nearly tripling its figures from the previous year, is particularly noteworthy.”
In addition to economic cooperation, the exchange of younger generations and education plays a pivotal role. Shigeo Katsu, founding President of Nazarbayev University, stated the importance of youth engagement and education exchange in building future cooperation between China and Kazakhstan.
“I think from now on looking to the future, the exchange of younger people and education exchange is going to be very important. It’s going to be very important that young people here and young people from China get to know each other,” said Katsu.
Media ContactCompany Name: Southern Finance Omnimedia Corp.Contact Person: Yinong LiEmail: Send EmailCountry: ChinaWebsite: https://youtu.be/LxGz0aUA_Pk
