Kazakhstan's warming ties with China
Add BT as a preferred sourceKAZAKHSTAN is pivotal in China's economic plans in the Central Asian region and this was reflected in Chinese President Xi Jinping's official visit on May 8.
This is Mr Xi's second trip to Kazakhstan in just over a year and the second by a Chinese state leader in the past six months. Following Premier Li Keqiang's visit in December, China and Kazakhstan signed a framework agreement. They will cooperate on infrastructure, energy, and housing deals worth over US$14 billion, with Kazakhstan now becoming a major site of Chinese investment.
Kazakhstan is crucial to getting China's Silk Road Economic Belt off the ground, and this is reflected in the Kazakhstan's growing diplomatic and strategic importance to China. The two countries have a goal of increasing their bilateral trade volume to US$40 billion this year.
