Kazakhstan and China: New Trends in International Cooperation

The year 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan. Amid the ups and downs of the international situation, China and Kazakhstan have always adhered to the principle of ‘good neighbourliness and mutually beneficial cooperation’ and gradually brought the bilateral relations to a permanent strategic partnership. A new bilateral relationship has been formed, characterized by goodwill and mutual benefit, which has always maintained a prosperous trend and served as a new international model for building a community of destiny in the neighbourhood. This chapter examines the key areas of future cooperation between China and Kazakhstan in light of the China-Kazakhstan Joint Declaration and the new model of bilateral relations on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan, as well as possible new plans for the development of cooperation over the next 30 years. The authors use a documentary research approach to analyze official documents of the governments of China and Kazakhstan regarding the follow-up of China-Kazakhstan cooperation, as well as documents on the key development areas planned under the ‘One Belt, One Road’ framework, in order to explore priority areas for future cooperation, including inter-party cooperation between the two countries. In the wake of the international economic crisis, the New Silk Road strategy is currently the most discussed. Moreover, the main attention of experts is focused on the prospects for the implementation of the Chinese initiative. China’s leader Xi Jinping put forward the idea of this project at Nazarbayev University during a state visit to Kazakhstan in 2013. At that time, the Chinese leadership presented China’s vision for recreating the Ancient Silk Road. The choice of the state where this initiative was announced was not accidental: of all Central Asian countries, it is with Kazakhstan that China has the largest number of joint projects within the framework of the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt. Kazakhstan is an important partner in China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative, the two countries cooperate in laying the first onshore cross-border oil and gas pipeline between China and neighbouring countries and have pioneered international cooperation in the field of productive capacity and investment. The experience of the past 30 years fully demonstrates a certain contribution to inter-country cooperation but also contributes to the achievement of long-term peace and stability in the region.