The China-Kazakhstan Cooperation on the "Belt and Road" in the Heart of Asia: Trade Between Kazakhstan and Xinjiang, China Reaches a New Historical High

Kazakh News Agency - Recently, Almaz Shakaliev, Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan, led a delegation to visit Xinjiang, China.

During the visit, Shakaliev held talks with the Executive Chairman of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Urumqi, and discussed expanding trade cooperation, attracting investment, and developing regional interaction.

In 2024, trade between Kazakhstan and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region increased by 20.5%, reaching a record high of 22 billion US dollars.

"We believe that the partnership with China is not only reflected at the political level, but also based on trust and friendship. Xinjiang is a special region for Kazakhstan. We are neighboring countries with a common border, and the people of the two countries have close relations. We see that under your leadership, Xinjiang is developing, its economy is continuously growing, and new opportunities are emerging. Last year, the trade volume between us reached a historical milestone of 22 billion US dollars. But I believe we can achieve even greater achievements. We need to diversify the trade structure, launch new products and new projects, rather than just increasing the trade volume. Kazakhstan is fully prepared for this. We hope that trade volume will not only be reflected in quantity, but also in real benefits, benefiting the people of both countries," said Shakaliev.

One of the important outcomes of the meeting was the agreement to develop a roadmap for trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Xinjiang. This document will help achieve diversification of commodity supply, develop non-primary product exports, and strengthen regional connections.

During the meeting, agricultural products also received special attention. The Minister of Trade stated that in 2024, Kazakhstan's agricultural product exports to China will increase by 10.5% to 1.44 billion US dollars. Due to the growing demand for environmentally friendly products, Kazakhstan plans to increase the supply of grains, oilseeds, and their processed products.

The two sides also discussed cross-regional cooperation issues. Currently, the number of friendly relationships between Xinjiang and various regions and cities in Kazakhstan ranks among the highest. Both sides proposed to revitalize the work of the cross-regional cooperation forum and continue the experience of cross-border interactions in the form of "friendly dialogue."

Finally, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation in the fields of trade and investment. Almaz Shakaliev called on Xinjiang entrepreneurs to invest in raw material processing, petrochemicals, and metallurgy industries, and pointed out that Kazakhstan has modern infrastructure and tax incentives.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841557342804043/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.