On rock-solid China-Kazakhstan ties

Over a month after the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev issued a joint statement on the 30^th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Vice President Wang Qishan followed up on rock-solid cooperation in the Kazakh capital, Astana. He emphasised the strong momentum accompanying Beijing’s permanent comprehensive strategic partnership with Astana, a mainstay in bilateral relations that have broken new ground. Above all, boosting this strategic partnership has tangible benefits for the broader Central Asia. That includes the relationship’s emergence as a model for mutual learning and harmony among Asian civilisations. The latter characteristics were emphasised in Wang’s speech at the 6^th Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit.

On stepped up strategic engagements between Kazakhstan and China, much of the groundwork has already been laid. Consider the fact that top leaderships stand committed to building on the achievements of past decades, including stronger diplomatic coordination to advance a promising future. A joint focus on prioritising the significance of head-of-state diplomacy, synergising development strategies, and expanding bilateral trade, collectively underscored Xi’s prior conviction: that China-Kazakhstan relations will “soar high and fly far like a golden eagle.”

Trade and connectivity achievements over the past three decades reveal vast latitude for advancement too. From productive transport to logistics sectors, wide-ranging infrastructure linkages have come to the fore, and China’s direct investment in Kazakhstan has also hit nearly $860 million last year. It is here that the inclusion of more sectors in the cooperation sphere, such as energy, lend new impetus to mutually beneficial progress. Moreover, stronger “Silk Road E-commerce” cooperation can also lead the way for diversified engagements between time-tested partners. These leaps help advance China and Kazakhstan’s pivot towards “a community with a shared future for mankind.”

Similarly, the decision to scale cooperation in high-value fields of economy, trade, production capacity, and connectivity is essential to ushering in what President Tokayev described as a “new golden 30 years of bilateral relations.” After all, China identifies as one of Kazakhstan’s top investment partners, shares its command over production capacity, and recognises Kazakhstan’s major role in the Belt and Road. “We [China and Kazakhstan] have continuously advanced our relationship from good neighbours to strategic partners and to permanent comprehensive strategic partners,” said Xi in a published essay before the presidential joint statement. The symbolism on developmental opportunities was also well-reflected in Vice President Wang Qishan’s exchange last week.

Therefore, bilateral recognition of “mutual political trust” as a major pillar of the China-Kazakhstan comprehensive strategic partnership sends an undeniable signal. It suggests that their high-level engagements are of supreme importance, and that diplomatic support remains unmitigated for all times to come.

Another major win for time-tested ties could be greater alignment between China’s Belt and Road, and Kazakhstan’s “Bright Road” initiative. Sustained diplomatic support for complimentary development strategies has helped Kazakhstan remarkably advance its Belt and Road engagements to the benefit of both countries. That includes Kazakhstan’s profile as a valued cross-continental transit route, and win-win Chinese investments in critical transport infrastructure. It is here that mutual praise for each other’s multi-decade development strategies paves the way for new development synergies beyond the 2030 mark, particularly at a time when investment corridors in Central Asia remain attractive. Nearly a dozen trade routes into major markets have also given both China and Kazakhstan strong incentive to boost their strategic cooperation. The overall symbolism on the BRI is one of its kind: Kazakhstan was the destination of choice for Xi’s announcement of the Belt and Road in 2013.

In the recent past, there have also been important takeaways for Kazakhstan and China’s security cooperation, and their treatment of core issues beyond the 30 year juncture. For instance, Kazakhstan expressed its firm support for the one-China principle, and endorsed all efforts by Beijing to deliver China’s peaceful reunification. We see a high level of reciprocity on sovereign affairs with China resolutely backing Kazakhstan’s measures to safeguard its domestic stability and maintenance of inter-ethnic harmony. Both sides exemplify diplomatic foresight by committing against any form of terrorism, extremism and separatism in the past. This effectively testifies to the value of lasting stability on bilateral and regional fronts in Central Asia.

Such profound unity has also been echoed during key moments in the past, including in January, when Beijing stood shoulder-to-shoulder with its time-tested partner on internal matters. All that common-ground only stands to strengthen. “Over the past three decades, CICA has played an active and constructive role in regional and international affairs,” said Wang at the summit. “As the initiator of CICA, Kazakhstan has made great contributions to CICA’s development, and China commends Kazakhstan’s efforts,” he affirmed.

As a result, the active utilisation of key engagement mechanisms, such as regular Prime Ministers’ Meetings and the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee, can play a meaningful role in further consolidating China-Kazakhstan coordination on top issues. That adds to the profound strengths of a relationship already pivoting towards a “new golden 30 years of bilateral relations.”

The writer is a foreign affairs commentator and recipient of the Fulbright Award