Trade with China on rise
ASTANA. KAZINFORM Trade turnover between Kazakhstan and China increased by 30 percent in the first months of 2017. This was announced by the First Deputy PM Askar Mamin during the 8th summit of the Kazakh-Chinese Cooperation Committee after a meeting with the Chinese co-chairman, member of the Communist Party's apex Politburo Standing Committee, Vice-Premier of the State Council Zhang Gaoli, Kazinform correspondent reports.
"At the initiative of the heads of our states, a joint Kazakh-Chinese program for industrial and investment cooperation was established, and 51 projects worth in total $27 billion are currently being implemented.
In general, the dynamics of project's implementation is positive. We discussed several very important projects of the program and I would like to note that our investment cooperation has reached a qualitatively new level. We see Chinese companies taking an active in implementing joint projects. And Kazakhstan is actively developing transport infrastructure to create conditions for further development of transportation along the Silk Road," Askar Mamin said.
He also reminded that last year, within the framework of Kazakh President's visit to PRC, a cooperation plan was signed to link the New Economic Policy "Nurly Zhol" with the Economic Belt of the Silk Road.
"The cooperation plan offers us great prospects in the development of transport and transit cooperation, as well as in investment cooperation. We are already witnessing the results of this work. And I want to note that in the first two months of 2017 trade turnover between our countries increased by 30 percent. It is a very good number. Container transportations on via the "China-Kazakhstan" to Europe double annually and in three months of 2017 the growth was, in comparison with the same period last year, 2.6 times. Increased traffic indicates the "One Belt - one way" and "Nurly Zhol" are being implemented," said Mr. Mamin.
Mr. Mamin also emphasized that joint development of the Center for Cross-Border Cooperation "Khorgos" will also contribute to the development of international cross-border trade and business cooperation, as well as cultural and scientific exchanges.