China’s Xinhua News Agency today published the full
version of an exclusive written interview with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart
Tokayev. In the interview, the Head of State spoke in detail about
Kazakhstan-China relations, trade, artificial intelligence, transport
corridors, and the international agenda. In particular, President Tokayev
addressed the development of Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics potential and
the prospects for cooperation between the two countries in this area. He
stressed that the dynamics of freight transportation are the primary indicator
of this. In 2025, the volume of cross-border rail freight exceeded 35 million
tonnes, while road freight amounted to eight million tonnes, 40 percent higher
than the previous year. Meanwhile, construction of the new Aral-Caspian
highway, launched by Kazakhstan, will double capacity and reduce delivery time
across the country from five to three days. The third Ayagoz-Tacheng railway
line currently under construction is expected to provide an additional freight
flow of 20 million tonnes. In addition, Kazakhstan and China have created the
necessary infrastructure to handle growing freight volumes. This includes a
joint logistics terminal in Lianyungang, the Khorgos-Eastern Gate dry port,
terminals in Xi’an and Almaty, a container hub in Aktau, and a freight terminal
in Chengdu, where Kazakhstan’s Consulate General will soon open.
«In fact, we are creating an integrated network that
will connect China’s production centers through Kazakhstan with the Caspian
region and, from there, with European markets. Kazakhstan therefore aims to
become Eurasia’s transport and logistics hub, where logistics, processing,
manufacturing, e-commerce and modern services will develop alongside freight
transportation. In other words, we need to move from a transit economy to an
economy of transport connectivity. Ultimately, the objective is to ensure that
our unique geographical position contributes to shared progress, regional
development, and improved living standards,» President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted.
This is one of the areas of cooperation between
Kazakhstan and China. The two countries are actively developing metallurgy,
green energy, and digitalization. Industrial cooperation alone includes 260
projects with investments exceeding $62 billion. As President Tokayev noted in
his interview, another potential growth area is the use of AI in manufacturing,
healthcare, transport, and urban management. Meanwhile, the Kazakhstan-China
Investment Forum in Almaty could serve as a platform for launching new projects.
The Head of State said he plans to attend the event at the end of September.
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