China's envoy outlines modernization priorities for Kazakhstan ties
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Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan Han Chunlin outlined modernization priorities for bilateral cooperation at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies on August 26. He said China is ready to be a reliable partner in modernization and global governance. Trade between the two countries reached $48.7 billion in 2025, up 11%.
Key Facts
- China-Kazakhstan trade reached a record $48.7 billion in 2025, up 11% year-on-year, according to China's General Administration of Customs.
- Kazakhstan's customs statistics put bilateral trade at $34.1 billion for 2025, reflecting differences in national methodologies.
- Trade between the two countries hit $22 billion in the first five months of 2026, a 27% increase year-on-year, Kazakhstan's Ministry of National Economy reported.
- Accumulated Chinese investment in Kazakhstan's economy exceeds $30 billion, according to Akorda.
Ambassador's Address
Han Chunlin, China's Ambassador to Kazakhstan, spoke at the 'Ambassador's Hour' event at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan on August 26. The ambassador's speech was titled 'Passing on Eternal Friendship and Jointly Creating the Future of China and Kazakhstan'. Han emphasized that China is ready to be a reliable partner with Kazakhstan on the path of modernization and to cooperate on global governance issues. He noted that this line is consistent with his February article, in which he described China and Kazakhstan as 'companions on the road to modernization'.
Trade and Investment
According to China's General Administration of Customs, bilateral trade reached a record $48.7 billion in 2025, an 11% increase from the previous year. Kazakhstan's exports to China totaled $19 billion, while Chinese supplies to Kazakhstan amounted to $29.7 billion. Kazakhstan's own customs statistics show a different figure of $34.1 billion for 2025, a discrepancy attributed to differences in national foreign trade statistics. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, during a July meeting with Chinese business representatives in Shanghai, also cited approximately $49 billion in bilateral trade. Akorda reported that accumulated Chinese investment in Kazakhstan's economy exceeds $30 billion.
2026 Momentum
The growth trend continued into 2026, with trade volume reaching $22 billion in the first five months, a 27% year-on-year increase, according to Kazakhstan's Ministry of National Economy. The ambassador's remarks at KISI signal that cooperation is expanding beyond trade to include transport, energy, technology, and joint approaches to global governance.
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China's envoy outlines modernization priorities for Kazakhstan ties
