Another Thirty Years of China-Kazakhstan Relations
Another Thirty Years of China-Kazakhstan Relations
“I am profoundly impressed by the vast and magnificent steppes, the meandering rivers, the ever-changing construction and the enthusiastic and simple people of Kazakhstan." This is how President Xi Jinping described his "impression of Kazakhstan" in a signed article published in the local media during his visit to Kazakhstan in mid-summer 2017. Five years later, President Xi Jinping will once again set foot on this beautiful land.”
The visit is of particular significance at the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan, which have grown by leaps and bounds over the past 30 years and have become a model of good neighborliness and friendship. The relationship has been positioned in such a way that the two countries have made a leap from friendly relations to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. A look at the cooperation figures shows that bilateral trade volume has grown from US$368 million at the beginning of diplomatic ties to US$25.25 billion in 2021, an increase of nearly 70 times. Currently, China is Kazakhstan’s second largest trading partner, the top export destination and the second largest source of imports. The strategic leadership of the head of state has been a political advantage and distinctive feature of China-Kazakhstan relations, and President Xi Jinping and President Tokayev have established a high degree of mutual trust and deep friendship.
President Xi Jinping and President Tokayev have maintained close communication in the form of “cloud diplomacy” since the outbreak of the COVID-19. In November 2021, President Tokayev was invited to the opening ceremony of the 4th China International Import Expo and delivered a video message, describing the Import Expo as “the 'golden door' to the Chinese market”.
It was nine years ago that President Xi Jinping first proposed the “Silk Road Economic Belt” initiative. Timur Shaimelgenov, a Kazakh expert on international issues, repeatedly mentioned the Sino-Kazakhstan Lianyungang Logistics Cooperation Base, the first physical platform project for international economic and trade cooperation under the Belt and Road. “Kazakhstan has gained direct access to the Pacific Ocean, which brings a whole new economic potential.” In the past nine years, China and Kazakhstan have been building the “Belt and Road” together on a pilot basis, which has already made great achievements. Kazakhstan’s flour, flaxseed and camel milk powder have entered thousands of Chinese households, and more than 100 Kazakh enterprises have entered Chinese e-commerce platforms. China and Kazakhstan have demonstrated strong vitality and resilience in their pragmatic cooperation, from trade and investment to production capacity cooperation, from interconnection to new business models, along the lines of high-quality construction of the “Belt and Road”.
In February this year, when President Xi Jinping met with President Tokayev, he proposed three “unswerving” measures to create another 30 years of Sino-Kazakh relations: “unswervingly safeguarding Sino-Kazakh friendship, unswervingly deepening cooperation and unswervingly supporting each other”. China-Kazakhstan relations are getting better and better, and the people of both countries are getting closer, and another 30 years of golden development of China-Kazakhstan relations are even more promising.
China is the main source of children’s products in Kazakhstan. As a Chinese sanitary products company, Jiayue has been exporting baby diapers, baby pull-ups and nappies to Kazakhstan on a monthly basis for a long time, and our regular customers in Kazakhstan have been praising our diaper products highly and have helped them to develop their own local markets. We will continue to develop the raw material market for adult diapers, adult pull-ups, wet wipes and related finished hygiene products. We are willing to be your eyes and ears in China, to help you develop the local market with our consistent quality and 10 years of marketing experience, and to contribute to the establishment of friendship between China and Kazakhstan.
