BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 13. A new Jiangsu Province Center for Central Asia has been opened in Kazakhstan's Astana.
This was announced by the country's Ministry of Trade and Integration on June 13.
According to the ministry, the opening took place on the sidelines of the China (Jiangsu Province)–Kazakhstan Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum in Astana.
The information from the ministry indicates that during the event, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration, Arman Shakkaliyev, held talks with the Secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xin Changxing, to discuss prospects for expanding investment cooperation.
Meanwhile, according to the ministry, relations between Kazakhstan and China are currently at an unprecedentedly high level. China has remained one of Kazakhstan’s largest trading partners for many years. Bilateral trade reached a record $49 billion last year, while Kazakhstan accounted for nearly 60% of China’s total trade turnover with Central Asia.
“Thanks to the strategic vision of our leaders, cooperation has become an important driver of sustainable economic growth and regional connectivity. Today, we invite Jiangsu businesses to implement joint projects in industry, agricultural processing, oil and gas chemistry, and digital technologies. I am confident that the opening of the Jiangsu Center in Astana will become a logical continuation of our joint work and a tool for creating new production chains,” Shakkaliyev said at the event.
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Trade informs that during the event, the Kazakh side presented the country’s investment potential and invited Jiangsu-based companies to participate in joint projects, including in renewable energy, e-commerce, and transport and logistics.
One of the forum’s key outcomes was the decision to expand logistics cooperation, including the implementation of a new container project at the Port of Aktau, which will become part of an integrated “door-to-border” logistics chain. The sides also agreed to diversify Kazakhstan’s exports by increasing supplies of wheat, meat, and honey to Jiangsu.
Special attention at the forum was given to Jiangsu Province, one of the world’s leading industrial centers, whose industry accounts for around 4% of global industrial output. According to the ministry, Jiangsu companies have to date implemented 63 investment projects in Kazakhstan, accounting for 47% of the province’s total investment in Central Asia.
“China and Kazakhstan are close friends and reliable partners with a shared future. We have established unique strategic partnership relations. Our economies complement each other, and I see enormous potential for doubling trade volumes. We intend to develop new growth areas in artificial intelligence, the green economy, and e-commerce while ensuring reliable conditions for bilateral investment,” Xin Changxing said.
The Jiangsu Center for Central Asia in Astana will serve as a unified service hub for Chinese companies, offering consulting services, exhibition activities, and support for Silk Road e-commerce initiatives.
Following the event, the sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding investment cooperation, creating joint production facilities, and strengthening trade and economic ties.
