Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met on July 16 in Shanghai, where Tokayev arrived to attend the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance.
During the meeting, Xi said that the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership has maintained strong momentum, demonstrating enormous potential for cooperation and broad prospects for future development, according to Xinhua.
He called on the two sides to strengthen the alignment of their development strategies and policies to continuously elevate practical cooperation.
Xi stressed the need to optimize the trade structure and foster new forms of business in cross-border e-commerce and trade in services. He also called for expanding cooperation in energy and mineral resources and accelerating the implementation of key projects.
Xi urged efforts to advance connectivity by increasing the number of direct flights and improving the facilitation of international road transport.
Xi added that China stands ready to share technologies in areas such as the digital economy and artificial intelligence to support Kazakhstan’s digital transformation.
Tokayev said he was delighted to be in Shanghai, a city brimming with innovative vitality, to attend the World Artificial Intelligence Conference.
Kazakhstan views its relations with China as the top priority of its foreign policy, said Tokayev, noting that Kazakhstan looks forward to maintaining close high-level exchanges with China and strengthening practical cooperation in various areas, including trade, investment, transportation, energy, agriculture and the digital economy.
On the same day, Tokayev met with the heads of Chinese high-tech companies.
“Last year, bilateral trade reached $49 billion, a record high. China has invested over $30 billion in Kazakhstan’s economy. Currently, more than 8,500 enterprises with Chinese capital are successfully operating in Kazakhstan. Among them, such major companies as CNPC, CITIC, and Huawei are particularly noteworthy. We highly value the significant contribution of Chinese businesses to the modernization of the Kazakh economy,” the Kazakh president said at the meeting.
During Tokayev’s visit to Shanghai, more than 70 Kazakh-Chinese commercial documents worth over $15 billion were signed, according to the presidential press service.
The agreements cover artificial intelligence and digitalization, transport infrastructure, finance, agriculture, mechanical engineering, and other high-tech sectors.
Photo: akorda.kz
