President Tokayev outlines CA-China cooperation priorities
Kazakh leader Kassym-Jomart Tokayev revealed the key areas of Central Asia-China partnership in his speech at II Central Asia – China Summit in the Kazakh capital Astana, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
In his speech, President Tokayev said that the Central Asian region’s trade turnover with China hit a record 95 billion US dollars, with Kazakhstan-China trade accounting for 44 billion US dollars.
The Kazakh leader also noted that Central Asia’s total GDP is approaching to the half-trillion-dollar mark.
In the past five years, the trade turnover among the Central Asian nations has surpassed 10 billion US dollars. “Last year, China accounted for around 40% of the Central Asian countries’ foreign trade turnover, hitting a record 95 billion US dollars”.
The Head of State hailed Chinese investments as a key driver of economic growth of Kazakhstan, which exceeded 26 billion US dollars.
Nearly 50,000 enterprises with Chinese capital operate in Kazakhstan. Dozens of major projects have been implemented in oil and gas, chemical, metallurgical, agri-business, mining, and other sectors, said Tokayev.
The Kazakh leader also stated that Kazakhstan remains firm and consistent in pursuing the policy to attract Chinese investments, saying: “this strategy is free from the political situation”.
We see the future of Central Asia as a model of joint development, with each nations’ success contributing to the greater region. Today, our countries face the common task, which is to ensure sustainable progress amid the growing global uncertainty. In this context, greater trade and economic ties are of paramount importance, said the Kazakh President.
Earlier, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that Kazakhstan is drafting an agreement on cooperation with China in nuclear energy.
