Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with Xinjiang grows 90% in six months

Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with Xinjiang grows 90% in six months

During his official visit to China, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Ma Xingrui, Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in Urumqi. The Head of State commended the results of Kazakhstan’s cooperation with Xinjiang. Thus, XUAR accounts for more than 40 percent of the total trade between the countries. At the same time, Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with Xinjiang has grown by almost 90 percent to $8.5 billion over the past six months alone. President Tokayev also emphasized the importance of building the third railway crossing between the countries, noting the possibility of launching this project in the near future.

“In Kazakhstan’s mutual trade with Xinjiang, the existing mechanisms of regional cooperation are of particular importance. I think we can make significant progress, if these mechanisms are properly used. Kazakhstan is ready to increase the supply of various products to your region, including metallurgical, petrochemical, engineering, and food products, as well as construction materials. The potential for collaboration in the agri-food sector remains promising. Kazakhstan could become a stable supplier of environmentally friendly agricultural products to the Chinese market,” the President said.

In addition to the development of trade and economic ties, the parties emphasized the significance of fostering cooperation in the water sector and the use of transboundary rivers. During the conversation, President Tokayev paid special attention to the promotion of tourist exchanges. Ma Xingrui underscored the importance of implementing the agreements reached during the talks between the Kazakh and Chinese leaders. He also called President Tokayev’s visit to Xinjiang historic and assured that the XUAR leadership will maintain contacts and expand cooperation with Kazakhstan.

“We will further deepen our trade and economic cooperation, focusing on such areas as agriculture, cross-border trade, and energy. We will establish interaction between our scientific organizations, universities and enterprises, and encourage our joint ventures to invest and open businesses in Kazakhstan and Xinjiang,” Ma Xingrui noted.