Xi and Tokayev hail 'new level' as China and Kazakhstan sign €11.4bn in deals

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met on the sidelines of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, where Xi stated that the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries had reached a new level and that there was considerable room for further development. During the talks, more than 70 commercial agreements were signed, with a total value exceeding $13 billion (€11.4 billion).

Bilateral trade has reached $49 billion (€42.8 billion) annually, while cumulative Chinese investment in Kazakhstan exceeds $30 billion (€26.2 billion). Over 8,500 Chinese-backed companies currently operate in Kazakhstan, making Beijing Astana's largest trading partner. Tokayev reaffirmed his country's readiness to provide a favorable business environment for Chinese investors, including legal protection, modern infrastructure, and a skilled workforce.

Among the flagship deals is an agreement to build Central Asia's first battery manufacturing plant in partnership with Chinese electric vehicle battery giant CATL, alongside broader cooperation with Chinese automakers. Other ongoing projects include a petrochemical complex with Sinopec, a corn processing plant with Fufeng Group, and a cotton-textile cluster with Lihua Group. Kazakhstan and China also signed an agreement to jointly develop Kazakhstan's first pumped-storage hydropower plant in the Kargaly River valley in the Almaty region.

Logistics remain a strategic advantage: last year, Kazakhstan handled roughly 85% of rail freight between China and Europe. Tokayev aims to turn this into a strategic advantage by making Kazakhstan the main transport and logistics hub connecting China with Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Europe. Two new projects are designed to expand capacity: the Bakty-Ayagoz railway line will open an additional rail crossing on the Kazakh-Chinese border, and at Kuryk Port on the Caspian Sea, China's Guoyou Materials Group plans to build a multifunctional terminal with an annual capacity of 15 million tonnes. A joint venture to dredge the Caspian Sea to maintain port depth was also discussed.

On the digital side, Kazakhstan is developing a Smart Cargo platform to integrate customs, logistics, and commercial operations into a single digital system. Tokayev also highlighted Alatau City, a new urban development built on a "Digital by Default" model featuring smart transport and digital payment infrastructure. During the AI conference, Tokayev declared technology a national priority, noting that competitiveness is now determined by technology, data, and artificial intelligence rather than natural resources alone.

Kazakhstan recorded a 27-million-tonne grain harvest, which Tokayev attributed in part to the spread of precision farming, drone monitoring, and satellite crop management. More than 200 agricultural enterprises now operate as smart farms. The two countries also signed a 2027–2030 trade and economic cooperation roadmap to govern future collaboration.