Foreign media on Kazakhstan: China, Kazakhstan vow to deepen practical cooperation; Mysterious stone spheres in Kazakhstan

Xinhua: China, Kazakhstan vow to deepen practical cooperation

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang met with Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar in Beijing on Tuesday, Xinhua reports. The two leaders co-chaired the 12th Meeting of the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee, pledging to deepen practical cooperation.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that under the guidance of the two heads of state, the China-Kazakhstan relationship has maintained a trend of rapid development, serving as an exemplary model for state-to-state relations.

The two sides should effectively implement the important consensus reached by their heads of state, further consolidate political mutual trust, enhance mutual support, synergize development strategies, deepen practical cooperation, and bring improved benefits to both countries and peoples, Ding added.

He fully affirmed the achievements of the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee since its 11th meeting.

He made four suggestions for future work: strengthening the guiding role of head-of-state diplomacy, deepening high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, advancing law enforcement and security cooperation, and promoting people-to-people exchange.

Sklyar said that Kazakhstan regards the development of relations with China as a diplomatic priority. It stands ready to work with the Chinese side to fully leverage bilateral cooperation mechanisms, ensure the effective implementation of key Belt and Road cooperation projects, and advance new achievements in Kazakhstan-China cooperation.

IDR: Mysterious stone spheres in Kazakhstan: Are they evidence of an ancient civilization?

Hidden in the remote steppe of western Kazakhstan lies Torysh, also known as the Valley of Balls—a surreal landscape filled with massive, perfectly round stone spheres, IDR reports. Ranging in size from marbles to cars, these formations have puzzled scientists, explorers, and theorists for over a century.

Believed to have formed 120–180 million years ago during the Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods, the spheres are composed mainly of silicate or carbon cement. Many experts think they are giant concretions—sediment built up around a central core—but their size and symmetry raise questions about other possible origins.

Some theorists compare them to mysterious stone spheres in Costa Rica and Bosnia, speculating they may be remnants of ancient civilizations. Scientific theories range from volcanic megaspherulites to spheroidal weathering caused by precise conditions.

Torysh’s remote and harsh terrain has limited research, keeping the mystery alive. Whether natural wonders or relics of a forgotten past, these stone spheres continue to fascinate—and confound—those who encounter them.

Popular Mechanics: Firefighters went on a routine patrol—and stumbled upon a breathtaking ancient face

A routine fire patrol in Kazakhstan’s Sandyktau region, about 200 miles northwest of Astana, discovered a striking face carved into a granite boulder, Popular Mechanics reports. The carving, around 10.5 inches long and 8 inches wide, may date back to the Bronze Age or even medieval Turkish cultures.

“The face is clearly visible,” Sergey Yarygin, a scientist at the Alkey Margulan Institute of Archaeology, said to Archaeology Magazine, “with large eyes, a long straight nose, and protruding lips. Kazakh archaeology not only enriches the scientific world with its remarkable discoveries but also reveals the main stages of the ancient and medieval development of Kazakhstan society.”

Kazakhstan, shaped by a long history of Bronze Age cultures, medieval khanates, and empires, remains one of the most archaeologically rich countries on Earth. Recent finds in Pavlodar and Karaganda, including pottery, utensils, and artifacts from the Alakul culture, further highlight its deep historical roots.

Investigators continue to study the carving to determine its exact origins and significance.

Eurasianet: Kazakhstan makes Top 40 list of arms importers – survey

Kazakhstan is the only country in Central Asia and the Caucasus to rank among the Top 40 arms importers over the past five years, according to a recent study published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Eurasianet reports.

Astana’s purchases accounted for just under 1 percent of total global arms imports during the 2020-2024 period, good for 26th place in the Top 40, according to the SIPRI update. Russia was Kazakhstan’s dominant arms supplier, accounting for 88 percent of Kazakh purchases. The country’s worldwide share of imports during the just-completed, five-year period was slightly lower than during 2015-2019.

The United States remains the world’s leading purveyor of arms, commanding a 43 percent market share over the past five years.

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