Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on March 28 attended the opening ceremony of the plenary session of the Boao Forum for Asia, held annually in Hainan Province, China. This year’s 23rd edition of the Forum was themed “Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities”.
The President of Kazakhstan spoke at the forum as a guest of honour.
Tokayev said that today Kazakh-Chinese relations represent a model of effective partnership.
“Kazakhstan accounts for half of Chinese trade and investment in the region. Kazakh-Chinese mutual trade turnover reached a historical record of 41 billion US dollars last year. In 2023 the cargo volume between our countries increased by 22%, amounting to almost 30 million tons. The groundbreaking megaproject Belt and Road Initiative was initially unveiled during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Kazakhstan over a decade ago. This project serves as a key bridge between East and West, and Kazakhstan accounts for 80% of all continental traffic between China and Europe. This is a critical advantage that we must fully utilize. Our own investments are strategically aligned with the Belt and Road Initiative, and aim to build a modern, multimodal, environmentally friendly, and sustainable infrastructure system,” said Tokayev.
The Kazakh leader pointed out the strategic importance of expanding transit and transport cooperation between Asian countries.
“It is crucial to double up our efforts to develop both existing and new transportation routes. Thus, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or the Middle Corridor, as the most viable path to secure supply chains between Asia and Europe. Last year the cargo volume through this route doubled to 3 million tons. In coming years, we expect to reach 10 million tons. At the same time, Kazakhstan is ready to cooperate with its neighbors in developing the North-South corridor,” Tokayev said.
The president named the extraction of critical raw materials as another promising area of cooperation.
“Rare earth metals have become an essential component for a wide range of technologies. They are indispensable to achieve net-zero in strategic sectors such as industry, digital, space and defense. We continue to work with international partners on the most effective way to harness our significant deposits of uranium, lithium, titanium, and other rare earth elements,” stated the Kazakh leader.
In conclusion, Tokayev reiterated his confidence that Asia, with its economic, technological and cultural advantages, can play a decisive role in shaping the world’s future. In this context, he noted the practical prospects of such important international dialogue platforms as the Boao Forum for Asia and the Astana International Forum (AIF).
Photo: akorda.kz
