The Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Almaty Introduces Regional Cooperation Between China and Kazakhstan (I)
In recent years, through the joint efforts of China and Kazakhstan, direct flights have been launched from Almaty to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Urumqi, Xi’an, Chengdu, Sanya and other major Chinese cities. The Air Silk Road is becoming increasingly connected, while the friendship between China and Kazakhstan continues to deepen. Each route crossing mountains and rivers not only shortens the distance between cities, but also reflects the dynamic development of comprehensive, in-depth and multi-dimensional cooperation between the two countries. Standing at a new historical starting point, China–Kazakhstan relations are entering an even broader path of accelerated development driven by city-to-city cooperation.
Beijing – Xiong’an New Area
Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China, is the political and cultural center of the country and a world-famous ancient yet modern international metropolis. It is home to leading universities and world-class think tanks, and also hosts the headquarters of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Today Beijing continues to strengthen its role as a center of international exchanges, annually hosting major events such as the China International Fair for Trade in Services, the Zhongguancun Forum, the Financial Street Forum and the Beijing Cultural Forum. The city’s international influence and platform role continue to grow.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Beijing successfully hosted 15 state-level and major international events. In the International Exchange Center Index 2025, Beijing ranked sixth globally. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the city will continue improving international exchange infrastructure and services, providing the world with more open, inclusive and mutually beneficial cooperation platforms.
In February 2026, China’s Ministry of Commerce and the Beijing Municipal Government jointly organized the first “Shared Market for All: Export to China” event of the year. Kazakhstan opened its own pavilion, showcased export products and served as one of the event’s partner countries. This further facilitated access for high-quality Kazakh products to the vast Chinese market and expanded the main artery of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
At the same time, cultural ties between Beijing and various cities and regions of Kazakhstan continue to deepen. In September 2025, the Kazakhstan Cultural Center officially opened in Beijing, becoming a permanent platform for people-to-people exchanges. In October, the “Study in Beijing 2025” education exhibition was held in Almaty. In June and November of the same year, events including “Peking Opera Cultural Tour in Almaty”, “LOVE Beijing Night” and a Beijing Film Promotion were successfully organized, strengthening Beijing’s cultural presence in Kazakhstan and adding a profound humanistic dimension to bilateral cooperation.
In terms of infrastructure, Beijing is served by two major international airports: Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). Opened in September 2019, Daxing is a modern 4F-class international aviation hub. In 2025, passenger traffic exceeded 53 million.
About 50 kilometers from Daxing Airport lies the state-level Xiong’an New Area, established nine years ago and covering 1,770 square kilometers. Its mission is to absorb Beijing’s non-capital functions. In recent years, Xiong’an has achieved remarkable progress and is emerging as a modern city attracting international investment and dynamic growth.
At present, the new city of Alatau is also under construction in Almaty Region. The high-quality development of Xiong’an provides valuable experience and favorable conditions for China–Kazakhstan cooperation in building new cities.
Shanghai – Yangtze River Delta Urban Cluster
Shanghai is a municipality directly under the Central Government of China and the country’s center of economy, finance, trade, shipping and scientific innovation. The city hosts headquarters and offices of numerous international organizations, including the BRICS New Development Bank, the IMF Regional Center in Shanghai, the UNDP Shanghai Global Center for Sustainable Development, and the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center in Shanghai.
Shanghai ranks first among China’s economic centers by overall economic output. It serves not only as a key engine of China’s economy but also as a strategic hub connecting domestic and international circulation and as a major gateway for the allocation of global resources. For 16 consecutive years, the Port of Shanghai has ranked first in the world in annual container throughput.
Shanghai is currently focused on three leading industries: integrated circuits, biomedicine and artificial intelligence. Through its “AI+” initiative, the city is promoting intelligent transformation across 3,000 industrial enterprises.
The Shanghai International Exhibition on Carbon Neutrality Technologies, Products and Achievements is currently underway. Later this year, Shanghai will also host the 9th China International Import Expo, the Shanghai International Film Festival and the China Shanghai International Arts Festival. From smart manufacturing and green technologies to trade, investment, culture and the arts, Shanghai’s rich industrial ecosystem offers Kazakhstan broad opportunities to enter the Chinese market and access global resources.
In June 2025, Shanghai and Almaty became sister cities. Within a year, the leaders of both cities exchanged visits, and a direct flight route was launched in July 2025. Both sides are making full use of their advantages and resources, jointly writing a new chapter in regional cooperation.
At the 8th China International Import Expo, Kazakhstan participated in four exhibition zones with more than 100 manufacturers, marking a record level of participation. For the first time, Almaty opened its own independent pavilion. In recent years, contracts signed by Kazakh companies at the Expo have exceeded USD 306.5 million, fully demonstrating the high level of bilateral economic cooperation. At the Almaty–Shanghai Business Forum in April this year, companies from both countries signed 12 agreements in trade, investment, biomedicine and automobile manufacturing.
The 1 GW Mirny Wind Power Project in Kazakhstan, jointly implemented by Shanghai Electric Group and Kazakhstan’s GCD Partner LLP, has become the country’s largest renewable energy project and a model of green industrial cooperation. Meanwhile, the China–Kazakhstan Logistics Base in Lianyungang, a landmark Belt and Road project, has provided Kazakhstan with direct access to the Pacific Ocean.
The Central Asia Center in Jiangsu has evolved from a regional trade center into a cooperation platform supporting seamless China–Central Asia trade. It hosts institutions such as the Kazakhstan Trade Policy Development Center and a number of Kazakh enterprises. Thus, a cooperation chain is being formed from regional to national level and from logistics to industry. On May 12 this year, the Nanjing–Almaty Trade and Economic Meeting was held there. On June 10, Jiangsu Province and Almaty Region signed a memorandum on establishing friendly relations, laying a foundation for deeper cooperation and common development.
From the coast of the East China Sea to the shores of the Caspian Sea, cooperation between the Yangtze River Delta urban cluster and Kazakhstan is evolving from isolated successes to comprehensive development, from logistics-centered cooperation to a multidimensional model encompassing trade, industry, finance and people-to-people exchanges, continuously demonstrating strong growth potential.
