China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors, good friends, good partners, and good brothers connected by mountains and rivers. During Kazakh President Tokayev's visit to China in 2019, the two countries unanimously decided to develop a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Kazakhstan. The strategic leadership of the head of state is the guarantee and advantage for the sustained and high-level development of China-Kazakhstan relations, laying a solid foundation for the development of bilateral relations.

The two countries continue to strengthen infrastructure hard connectivity. China and Kazakhstan vigorously develop road and railway transit transport and international land-sea multimodal transport, China-Kazakhstan Lianyungang Logistics Cooperation Base, Korgos-Dongdaemun Dry Port, West China-Western Europe International Transport Corridor and other major infrastructure projects guarantee Europe. The smooth flow of goods between the subcontinents also allows Kazakhstan products to have an outlet for sailing. In 2022, the railway freight volume between China and Kazakhstan will reach 23 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 20%. The China-Europe Railway Express passing through Kazakhstan has been running continuously, which has further tapped the potential of Kazakhstan's transit transportation.

Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, China and Kazakhstan have actively carried out production capacity and investment cooperation, and have formed a project list covering 52 projects with a total value of more than 21.2 billion U.S. dollars, and continue to expand into green, digital and technology fields. The modernization project of the Shymkent oil refinery and the petrochemical complex project in Atyrau State have been completed and put into operation, which has improved the industrial level of Kazakhstan. New energy projects such as Zanatas Wind Farm, Turgusun Hydropower Station, and Almaty Photovoltaic Power Station, which were built by Chinese companies, have effectively contributed to the local transition to low-carbon. According to the data of China Power Kazakhstan Energy Investment Co., Ltd., by the end of 2022, the total installed capacity of renewable energy projects participated by Chinese enterprises in Kazakhstan has exceeded 1,000 megawatts.

China and Kazakhstan continue to strengthen cooperation in inspection and quarantine, creating favorable conditions for the access of agricultural products. China and Kazakhstan continue to strengthen policy communication and standard docking in the field of agriculture, and promote agricultural cooperation to be deeper and more solid. In 2022, the trade volume of agricultural products between China and Kazakhstan will reach 930 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 61.3%. In addition to trade in agricultural products, the agricultural science and technology cooperation between the two countries has developed rapidly, and the two sides are advancing a number of joint laboratories and joint breeding scientific research projects in an orderly manner.

The economic structures of China and Kazakhstan are highly complementary. In recent years, China has been Kazakhstan's second largest trading partner, largest export destination and second largest source of imports. According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, in 2022, the total trade in goods between China and Kazakhstan will reach US$31.17 billion, a year-on-year increase of 23.6%. Kazakhstan became the second country to open a national pavilion on the Alibaba e-commerce platform, and more than 200 Kazakh enterprises have settled on the platform.

China and Kazakhstan have strengthened people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation with the bond of heart-to-heart connection. The five Confucius Institutes opened by China in Kazakhstan are running smoothly, and the Luban workshop will soon be established in Kazakhstan. Four Chinese universities have established Kazakhstan research centers, and two universities offer Kazakh language majors. The touching story of Chinese musician Xian Xinghai and Kazakh musician Baikadamov was brought to the screen. Excellent Chinese film and television works such as "A Bite of China" entered thousands of households in Kazakhstan. Relevant departments of the two countries have continuously promoted the facilitation of personnel exchanges and people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two sides.

There is a proverb in Kazakhstan: Friendship is an inexhaustible wealth. The first China-Central Asia Summit was held at the starting point of the ancient Silk Road. On the road of building a community with a shared future featuring friendship from generation to generation, a high degree of mutual trust, and a shared future, China and Kazakhstan will surely move forward hand in hand and write a more splendid new chapter.Editor/Ma Xue