SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - More than eight in every 10 containers shipped overland from China to Europe pass through Kazakhstan. That single statistic, more than any diplomatic formula, explains why the two countries spent this week in Urumqi pressing to deepen a commercial relationship already generating record numbers.
On the sidelines of the 9th China-Eurasia Expo on Thursday (local time), Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin met with Ding Xuexiang, Vice Premier of the State Council of China. The talks, according to Kazakhstan's state-operated news agency Qazinform, covered trade expansion, joint investment, and transport infrastructure along the China-to-Europe corridor.
Bilateral trade hit a record $48.7 billion in 2025. In the first five months of 2026, trade reached $22 billion, a 27 percent rise compared to the same period last year. Officials forecast the full-year total will exceed $50 billion.
Zhumangarin set a more ambitious horizon. "Our main objective is to achieve bilateral trade of $100 billion in the near future," he said, calling for accelerated approval of a Trade and Economic Cooperation Program and Roadmap for 2027 to 2030.
More than half of all bilateral trade flows through China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the Kazakhstani government report noted, making it the primary commercial gateway between the two countries.
Kazakhstan is expanding its border-crossing capacity. With the construction of a new crossing at Bakhty-Ayagoz, the combined capacity of three crossings on the Kazakhstan-China border will reach 100 million tons of cargo per year. The Chinese side confirmed it was ready to jointly build a third railway crossing, which officials said would improve the reliability and security of international transport routes.
China has invested approximately $30 billion in Kazakhstan since the country's independence, making it one of the largest foreign investors in the Kazakhstani economy. Zhumangarin invited Chinese businesses to participate in projects centered on high value-added production, including deep processing of wheat and corn, full-cycle metallurgical production, and manufacturing of agrochemicals and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
"Today, the exhibition featured advanced achievements in agrochemicals and drone manufacturing," he said. "We would like to invite these producers and investors to Kazakhstan. We are ready to provide all the necessary conditions for the localization of production."
Ding reaffirmed China's interest in expanding cooperation with Kazakhstan in the digital economy, artificial intelligence, energy, and navigation technologies.
Agricultural trade between the two countries has reached two billion US dollars. China has approved imports of 34 categories of Kazakhstani agricultural products. Nine more categories, including chilled meat, are currently under review.
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