Xi’s Kazakhstan Visit to Forge New Path for Relations and SCO

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Astana, Kazakhstan, on July 2, 2024, to attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and for a state visit at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Upon his arrival, Xi was warmly greeted by Tokayev and other senior Kazakh officials at the airport. Photo: Xinhua

Xi’s visit to Kazakhstan, where he made his first foreign trip in 2022 since the COVID-19 pandemic and proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt in 2013, highlights the strong bilateral relationship and high political trust between the two nations. This year marks the 32nd anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan, and analysts believe the visit will pave the way for future cooperation in various areas, including regional security, connectivity, and cultural exchanges under the SCO and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) frameworks.

The growing ties between China and Kazakhstan, as well as the broader Central Asian region, serve as a model for new international relations based on mutual respect and common development, contrasting with the zero-sum geopolitical mindset of some Western countries. Xi emphasized the unique and permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Kazakhstan in a written statement upon his arrival in Astana.

In a signed article published in Kazakh media, Xi praised the achievements of China-Kazakhstan cooperation and expressed his eagerness to meet with President Tokayev to plan the future of their bilateral relations and the SCO. The Global Times reported that hundreds of local residents waved Chinese and Kazakh national flags near Beijing Tower in Astana to welcome Xi, with crowds cheering “Warm welcome!” in Chinese.

Local residents and scholars have high expectations for the visit, particularly regarding increased connectivity between China and Kazakhstan under the BRI. A Kazakh college student named Konstantin told the Global Times that the Silk Road was crucial for transporting goods from Asia to Europe and that the cooperation between China and Kazakhstan would lead to future economic growth. Another resident, Salima, noted the positive impact of cooperation with China on Kazakhstan.

Observers believe the visit highlights the strategic guidance provided by the heads of state, which is a key feature of China-Kazakhstan relations. These high-level interactions will bring certainty and new momentum to the development of Central Asia and the world amid rising geopolitical tensions. Aliya Mussabekova, a chief expert at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, expressed confidence that the visit would lead to a more productive and mutually beneficial relationship.

In 2013, Xi proposed the idea of building an “economic belt along the Silk Road” during a visit to Kazakhstan, which later became part of the BRI. He visited Kazakhstan again in 2017 and 2022 to strengthen bilateral ties. In 2019, the two countries elevated their relationship to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership during President Tokayev’s state visit to China.

Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Zhang Xiao, described the China-Kazakhstan relationship as unique and reflective of both sides’ positive expectations. Despite the changing international environment, China and Kazakhstan have supported each other on core issues, laying a solid foundation for their bilateral ties to reach new heights. Kazakhstan has endorsed several China-proposed initiatives, including the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative. The two countries have also committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Bolat Nurgaliyev, former SCO secretary-general, noted that China and Kazakhstan share a vision of avoiding further deterioration of international relations and returning to normalcy based on mutual accommodation of legitimate interests. Kazakhstan, hosting the SCO summit in Astana, has pledged to enhance the SCO’s potential. After the summit, China will assume the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2024-2025.

Cui Heng, a scholar from the China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, highlighted the importance of maintaining regional stability and strengthening security cooperation between China and Kazakhstan. He also emphasized the potential for economic cooperation, with China playing a constructive role in regional infrastructure projects like the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).

Bilateral cooperation under the BRI between China and Kazakhstan has set trends in Eurasia. In 2023, trade between the two countries reached a record $41 billion, accounting for nearly half of China’s trade with Central Asia. Industrial collaboration and synergy between the BRI and Kazakhstan’s “Bright Road” economic policy have transformed Kazakhstan into a key regional transportation center and a crucial transit hub for China-Europe freight trains.

China’s collaborations with other Central Asian countries have also gained momentum. China’s bilateral trade with Tajikistan expanded by 53.5 percent year-on-year to $3.93 billion in 2023. At the invitation of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Xi will also pay a state visit to Tajikistan.

Zhang emphasized that China is willing to use the SCO summit as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation with all five Central Asian countries, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and advocate for a fair multipolar world and inclusive globalization. Li Ziguo, a senior research fellow with the China Institute of International Studies, noted that over 30 years of China-Central Asia cooperation have proven China’s constructive role in the region, providing technologies and cost-effective products without geopolitical requirements.

While some Western powers invest in the region for geopolitical competition, China offers the industrial capacity that Central Asian countries need for modernization, analysts said.