南方财经全媒体记者施诗哈萨克斯坦阿斯塔纳报道

As the birthplace of the Belt and Road Initiative, Kazakhstan holds special significance in the joint development of this initiative.

Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Zhang Xiao, expressed in theexclusive interview with SFC that “bound together by mountains and rivers, China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers,” highlighting that both countries have set an example of good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation for neighboring countries.

Over the past decade, China and Kazakhstan have written inspiring stories of cooperation. Ambassador Zhang pointed out that during this period, many exemplary cooperative projects have been completed, including the Shymkent Oil Refinery, the photovoltaic power plant in Almaty, the high-tech agricultural demonstration area in North Kazakhstan Region, the nuclear fuel assembly plant in East Kazakhstan Region, the glass factory in the Kyzylorda Region, the automobile factory in the Kostanay Region, etc. “These projects have greatly enhanced Kazakhstan’s industrialization level and brought tangible benefits to the two peoples”, said Ambassador Zhang.

As China and Kazakhstan embark on the next three golden decadesof their relationship, new historical opportunities are on the horizon. Ambassador Zhang emphasized that,under the strategic guidance of the two presidents, both sides will strengthen communication and coordination between all levels, deepen win-win cooperation in all fields, join efforts to advance our permanent comprehensive strategic partnership to new levels and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

China and Kazakhstanshared very fruitful outcomes in their practical cooperation

SFC Markets and Finance: As we know, it was in Kazakhstan that the Belt and Road Initiative was first proposed. What outcomes have Kazakhstan and China shared in their BRI cooperation over the past decade?

Zhang Xiao: As you know, Kazakhstan was where the BRI was first announced. It is playing a particularly special and important role in our BRI cooperation. Over the past decade, China and Kazakhstan have deepened and strengthened cooperation in various fields and shared very fruitful outcomes in their practical cooperation.

These outcomes can be summed up as follows:

First, policy coordination between both sides has been deepening. Through the strategic guidance and promotion of the two countries’ leaders, China and Kazakhstan have kept close communication and coordination in all fields and at all levels. And the BRI has been well suited to Kazakhstan’s economic development strategy. All this has provided solid support for the two countries’ practical cooperation.

Second, trade and investment between both sides have seen continuous upgrades. In 2022, our bilateral trade volume hit 31 billion US dollars for the first time, up 23.6% year-on-year. Now, China remains a solid top-five foreign investor in Kazakhstan. For many years, China has maintained its position as Kazakhstan’s second largest trade partner, export destination and source of imports.

Third, infrastructure connectivity of both sides has been constantly upgraded. China and Kazakhstan are vigorously developing transit transportation and international multimodal transportation like land-ocean transportation. They have built up a comprehensive and three-dimensional connectivity network. So far, they have opened all year round seven land frontier ports, five cross-border pipelines for oil and gas transportation, two cross-border railway lines and an international frontier cooperation center in Horgos. Besides, China-Europe Railway Express is running through Kazakhstan ceaselessly. In fact, this express has given Kazakhstan a sea gate.

Fourth, our bilateral cooperation in emerging industries is full of vitality. Both sides are energetically exploring new areas and creating new highlights of cooperation. Our cooperation in the emerging industries of medicine and health, cross-border e-commerce, digital economy, automobile making, and modern agriculture is really gaining momentum. In May this year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev launched the Jingdong Kazakhstan National Pavilion during his visit to China. By now, there have been 25 food brands of Kazakhstan joining the Jingdong platform. In other words, the digital Silk Road is developing rapidly.

Fifth, I’d like to emphasize the fact that the two countries’ people-to-people bond has been increasingly strengthened. So far, China has established five Confucius institutes in Kazakhstan, all of which are running smoothly. Meanwhile, Luban Workshops, China-Kazakhstan co-built universities and many other projects are also gathering pace. With the signing of the China-Kazakhstan agreement on mutual visa exemptions and the launch of the Kazakhstan tourism year in China in 2024, I believe personnel, cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries will embrace a new development opportunity.

To sum up, during the past decade, China and Kazakhstan have shared fruitful outcomes in their BRI cooperation. We have collaboratively completed a great number of pilot projects, like the Shymkent Oil Refinery, the photovoltaic power plant in Almaty, the high-tech agricultural demonstration area in North Kazakhstan Region, the nuclear fuel assembly plant in East Kazakhstan Region, the glass factory in the Kyzylorda Region, the automobile factory in the Kostanay Region, etc. These projects have greatly enhanced Kazakhstan’s industrialization level and brought tangible benefits to the two peoples.

Next, both countries will continue to uphold the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits and aim at high-standard, people-centered, and sustainable growth, so as to promote the high-quality development of the BRI.

SFC Markets and Finance: You’ve been acting as Ambassador to Kazakhstan for five years. What changes has the Belt and Road Initiative brought to Kazakhstan over the past five years? How did the local people comment on the initiative?

Zhang Xiao: As forerunners, China and Kazakhstan have conducted their BRI cooperation and shared fruitful outcomes, which makes me so excited. I’ve already been Ambassador to Kazakhstan for five years. During these years, I’ve witnessed the high-quality development of China-Kazakhstan BRI cooperation in the areas of capacity cooperation, trade and investment, connectivity, emerging business types, cultural exchanges, and joint fight against the epidemic. The two countries’ all-round mutually beneficial cooperation has shown strong energy and sheer tenacity, and the friendly ties between the two peoples have been increasingly strengthened.

Let me give a simple example. In the Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan, we co-built the 100-MW Zhanatas wind farm. It’s an exemplary and symbolic project in China-Kazakhstan BRI cooperation. In June 2021, this wind farm was connected to the power grid and came into full operation. It generates 350 million KWH clean energy per year. Compared with a thermal power station having the same capacity, it can save about 110 thousand tons of standard coal every year. Obviously, it has greatly driven the region’s transition to clean energy, improved air quality, and provided more than 500 jobs for the local people.

Home to only 20,000 people, Zhanatas is just a small city along the Silk Road. Fortunately, it has caught up with the trend of new energy development, thereby increasing residents’ income and injecting plenty of vigor into urban construction.

Moreover, many China-Kazakhstan co-built projects have effectively enhanced Kazakhstan’s level of agriculture and modern industrialization, helped local residents increase their income, and improved their living environment and quality of life, truly achieving mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

Therefore, the “Belt and Road” Initiative has been widely embraced by the Kazakh people. In today’s Kazakhstan, some people may have no idea of the BRI yet. But, many of them have already enjoyed the benefits brought by BRI cooperation in their work and life. I believe, with the continuous progress of China-Kazakhstan cooperation, the BRI will be welcomed, recognized, and supported by more and more local people.

Continue to advancehigh-quality development of BRI cooperation

SFC Markets and Finance: As mentioned above, the economic and trade relations between the two countries are getting increasingly closer. Could you please introduce to us the economic and trade exchanges between China and Kazakhstan?

Zhang Xiao: As you know, the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership has been established. As the partnership is developing in a healthy and steady way and the high-quality development of BRI cooperation is constantly advanced, economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has achieved in-depth, multi-sector and all-round development and made new breakthroughs.

As I mentioned before, in 2022, our bilateral trade volume saw a year-on-year increase of 23.6%. Between January and July this year, the trade volume reached 21.9 billion US dollars, seeing a continued rapid year-on-year increase of 24.8%. For consecutive years, China has maintained its position as Kazakhstan’s second largest trade partner, export destination and source of imports. As a huge consumer market, China has provided Kazakh companies with unprecedented opportunities. Honey, chocolate, and many other high-quality products from Kazakhstan are gaining popularity among Chinese consumers.

Next, under the framework of BRI cooperation, China and Kazakhstan will strengthen the connectivity of policies, actively support the development of cross-border e-commerce, digital economy, and other new business types, step up the progress of strategic cooperation projects, and promote the integrated development of cooperation in the fields of energy mineral resources, metallurgy and chemical engineering, logistics transportation, infrastructure, equipment manufacturing, food and agriculture, etc.

In this way, our bilateral economic and trade cooperation will be driven continuously, so that the goal the leaders of the two countries agreed on in Xi’an in May this year, that is, before 2030, our bilateral trade volume will reach 40 billion US dollars, can be achieved soon enough.

SFC Markets and Finance: What will China and Kazakhstan do next to further promote the high-quality development of BRI cooperation?

Zhang Xiao: As forerunners of BRI cooperation, China and Kazakhstan have set an example for international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

First, we should create a people-centered Silk Road. We should uphold a people-centered philosophy of cooperation and seek closer practical cooperation in the areas of employment, poverty reduction, education, agriculture and so on, develop more cooperation projects that improve people’s livelihood, so as to provide more development opportunities for the two peoples and let them enjoy more dividends of development.

Second, we should build a green Silk Road. We must stick to green development of BRI cooperation. By sharing good experience and practices with each other, both countries will join hands to promote cooperation in the fields of green infrastructure construction, green agricultural energy, green investment, green finance, etc., so as to let green become a feature in BRI cooperation.

Third, we should build a road to innovation. We will continuously fuel BRI cooperation with digital technology and generate more deliverables in the areas of 5G, big data and cross-border e-commerce, so as to establish a new digital and intelligent pattern of cooperation for the future.

Fourth, we should build a road to public health. After the COVID-19 pandemic, we should stick to connectivity of cooperation in public health, enhance exchanges and cooperation in medical diagnosis and research and promotion of traditional medicine, so as to work together to build a global community of health for all.

Fifth, we should accelerate efforts to build a road to connectivity. We should combine quot;hard connectivityquot; of infrastructure with quot;soft connectivityquot; of institutions, rules, and standards. It’s necessary to further promote infrastructure development planning of both sides, drive high-quality development of China-Europe Railway Express and facilitate multimodal transportation of international railways, so that a safe global logistics supply chain can be ensured.

Join hands to promote China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism

SFC Markets and Finance: This year, the first China-Central Asia Summit was held and depicted a new blueprint for China-Central Asia relations. Then what roles has Kazakhstan played in China-Central Asia cooperation according to the new blueprint?

Zhang Xiao: In fact, Kazakhstan is a positive initiator, participant and builder of the China-Central Asia Summit. In institutional building, it has kept close communication and coordination with China and other Central Asian countries. Besides, it strongly supported and actively cooperated with China in our holding of the first summit. Its successful holding is a significant milestone which has started a new chapter of friendly cooperation between China and Central Asia.

As we know, Kazakhstan is an important Central Asian country. In history, it was also a key node on the ancient Silk Road. Together with China and other Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan has made an important contribution to carrying forward the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

Since it gained independence 31 years ago, Kazakhstan has blazed a path of economic and social development according to its national conditions. Moreover, it has actively deepened its friendship and multi-field cooperation with China. Actually, it has played an important role in promoting friendly cooperation between China and Central Asian countries.

In the future, we’d like to support Kazakhstan in holding the next China-Central Asia Summit which will come in two years. We will join hands to promote the healthy and steady development of China-Central Asia cooperation mechanisms, seriously carry out theGlobal Development Initiative , the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and theGlobal Civilization Initiative (GCI), constantly deepen mutual benefit and win-win cooperation in all fields and make our contributions to building a China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

SFC Markets and Finance: Actually, cultural and educational exchanges between China and Kazakhstan go back to ancient times. The ancient Silk Road and Xian Xinghai Street in Almaty are just examples. Could you please share with us the future of cultural and educational exchange programs between both sides?

Zhang Xiao: Amity between the people holds the key to sound state-to-state relations. Since diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan were established 31 years ago, the two countries have carried forward the great Silk Road spirit, constantly deepened their cultural and educational exchanges and made considerable progress in their cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, tourism and archaeology.

These exchanges have played an important part in enriching connotation of China-Kazakhstan relations and gaining more public support for the friendship between the two countries. In their friendly communication, the two peoples have left a lot of well-known and moving stories. For example, the heart-warming friendship between Xian Xinghai and Bakhytzhan Baikadamov, two great composers in our respective countries, has become a beautiful story about people-to-people exchanges between China and Kazakhstan. This story has been turned into a movie calledThe Composerwhich is well loved by the two peoples.

In future, we will further tap the potential for cooperation, advance our bilateral cultural and educational exchanges to new levels and strengthen the public support for the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership and the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

To achieve this goal, we should first promote and facilitate personnel exchanges. For example, we should let nonstop passenger flights between China and Kazakhstan return to their pre-pandemic level of operation as soon as possible. Based on this, more new airlines should be developed between cities in both countries. Besides, the China-Kazakhstan agreement on mutual visa exemptions signed in Xi’an in May this year should become effective as early as possible, so as to provide more convenience for personnel exchanges between both countries.

Second, we should deepen cultural exchanges. On the one hand, we should keep normal communication by jointly organizing cultural, arts and dance festivals to enhance mutual learning and appreciation between both cultures. On the other hand, we should gradually expand bilateral cooperation and interaction in the sports, media, archaeology, film and TV, and publishing industries and speed up establishment of cultural centers in each other’s countries, to build more platforms for the bilateral cultural and educational exchanges.

What’s more, we should further encourage more diversified education. Today, we have established in Kazakhstan five Confucius institutes where 3,000 students finish their Chinese learning every year. Major brand activities, like the quot;Chinese Bridgequot; competitions, Chinese summer camps and Chinese song contests, have constantly set off a craze for Chinese language.

Just as I said, both sides should also push for early completion of projects including Luban Workshops and China-Kazakhstan co-built universities to cultivate more young and highly qualified talents for China-Kazakhstan BRI cooperation. We should actively urge the Chinese and Kazakh youth to carry out mutual communication and learning activities, exchange visits and summer camps, so that more new blood can be infused into China-Kazakhstan friendship.

New historical opportunities are on the horizon

SFC Markets and Finance: We’ve repeatedly mentioned that China and Kazakhstan have established their permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Then how to understand this relationship? In what aspects is it mainly reflected?

Zhang Xiao: Bound together by mountains and rivers, China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers. Since the two countries established diplomatic relations 31 years ago, their friendly and cooperative relationship has developed in a healthy, steady and continuous way and finally reached its highest level, namely the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Both countries have set an example of good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation for neighboring countries.

In September 2022, the two countries#39; leaders agreed on the objective of building a China-Kazakhstan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, strong mutual trust and solidarity. This objective has signaled the way forward for the next three golden decades of China-Kazakhstan relations.

In May this year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan paid a successful visit to China and attended the first China-Central Asia Summit, further promoting the development of China-Kazakhstan relations. Besides, our bilateral cooperation has made new substantial breakthroughs in various fields, injecting fresh and great vitality to the building of a China-Kazakhstan community with a shared future.

Maybe I should say the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership is an independent choice the two countries and peoples have made based on their national conditions and the need of regional development and conforming to the trend and the times and the international situation. It’s both an inevitable result of our bilateral relations’ continuous upgrades and a necessary choice the two countries have made in response to the complex and austere international and regional situation.

This partnership has promoted the rapid development of the China-Kazakhstan relations and cooperation in various fields. Also, it has made a significant contribution to the steady development of the region and even the world.

Under its guidance, both sides have constantly strengthened their political mutual trust, expanded their practical cooperation, deepened their cultural and educational exchanges, worked together more efficiently on the international stage and made new breakthroughs in high-quality BRI cooperation. The partnership has become a successful model and benchmark for the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and played an important exemplary and leading role in the region and even the world.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI first proposed in Kazakhstan and a starting point for the next three golden decades of China-Kazakhstan relations. Our bilateral relations are faced with new opportunities. Under the strategic guidance of the two presidents, both sides will strengthen communication and coordination between all levels, deepen win-win cooperation in all fields, join efforts to advance our permanent comprehensive strategic partnership to new levels and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

策划:于晓娜

监制:施诗

制作:李群

新媒体统筹:丁青云 曾婷芳 赖禧 黄达迅

海外运营监制: 黄燕淑

海外运营内容统筹: 张然

海外运营编辑:唐双艳 吴婉婕

海外项目经理:庄欢

海外商务合作: 黄子豪

出品:南方财经全媒体集团