President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev urged Kazakh citizens to embrace the growing opportunities with China and to effectively leverage the advantages of friendly relations, setting aside any prejudices about our eastern neighbor, QazMonitor reports citing Egemen Qazaqstan.
The President highlighted the developing relations between our countries. He pointed out that the trade turnover achieved a new milestone by the end of the first ten months of 2023, reaching $24.3 billion.
We are actively working to expand the range of our product exports and increase the volume of supplies to China. Additionally, China traditionally stands as one of the largest investors in Kazakhstan's economy, with our country already accumulating $24 billion in Chinese investments.
Another factor contributing to the growth of relations with China is Kazakhstan's key geographical position between the East and the West, offering extensive prospects for the transit of Chinese goods in various directions. The President noted that during the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing last year, Kazakhstan and China signed agreements on the joint development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and the construction of the Ayagoz-Tacheng railroad.
Moreover, Tokayev highlighted the commencement of a visa-free regime between Kazakhstan and China. Since November 10, 2023, Kazakh citizens have had the right to visit the neighboring country freely.
I hope many of our fellow citizens will seize this opportunity. We should not harbor any fears about China, [as they are] brought in from the outside or rooted in outdated perceptions. China is now a highly developed country, particularly in the field of high technology—the whole world recognizes this. Therefore, it is extremely important for Kazakhstan to collaborate with our eastern neighbor, effectively leveraging the advantages of such friendly relations and mutual trust.
