Tokayev Meets Xi in Shanghai as Kazakhstan-China Trade Hits $48 Billion
Updated
Updated · el.kz · Jul 17
Tokayev Meets Xi in Shanghai as Kazakhstan-China Trade Hits $48 Billion
3 articles · Updated · el.kz · Jul 17
Summary
July 16 talks in Shanghai cast the Tokayev-Xi meeting as a checkpoint in a fast-deepening partnership, with Kazakhstan increasingly central to China’s view of Central Asia.
Record bilateral trade of $48 billion in 2025 underpins that relationship, and both governments are targeting $100 billion by 2030.
Kazakhstan’s logistics role strengthens its leverage: more than 85% of China-Europe overland cargo crosses Kazakhstan, while rail freight with China reached 35.6 million tons in 2025, up 11%.
Chinese investment and industrial links are also expanding, with about $11.4 billion in cumulative direct investment and 55 joint projects worth $13.5 billion under development.
Kazakhstan’s broader economic weight helps explain the focus from Beijing: its $306 billion economy made up 53.7% of Central Asia’s output in 2025, and it held 68.6% of the region’s inward FDI stock.
Can Kazakhstan partner with the West on minerals while being China’s primary gateway to Europe?
Can the Middle Corridor overcome its logistical hurdles to truly rival traditional sea routes?
China-Kazakhstan 2026: Permanent Strategic Partnership, AI Initiatives, and the Future of Eurasian Connectivity
Overview
On July 16, 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met in Shanghai, highlighting the strong and growing partnership between China and Kazakhstan. Tokayev’s visit was timed with his participation in the World Artificial Intelligence Conference and a high-level meeting on global AI governance, showing the importance of technology in their relationship. During this visit, Kazakhstan became one of the 29 founding members of the newly established World AI Cooperation Organization in Shanghai. This convergence of diplomacy and technology marks a new chapter in their strategic cooperation, especially in artificial intelligence and digital transformation.