On July 17, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev concluded a visit to Shanghai, China, by talking on the opening of the 2026 World Synthetic Intelligence Convention. Whereas restating Kazakhstan’s efforts to grow to be a regional hub for digital commerce and worldwide cooperation, Tokayev additionally praised China for its developments within the subject throughout his 16-minute speech.
The day earlier than, the Kazakh president had already expressed his need to deepen cooperation between the 2 international locations within the subject of expertise. This was underscored by the signing of offers value greater than $15 billion masking digital infrastructure, transport, and the safety sector.
Tokayev’s journey comes amid what the Kazakh authorities has coined the Yr of Digitalization and AI, with power and sources being directed towards the event of a digital state. His talks with industry-leading corporations in Shanghai on July 16 additionally made it clear that China performed a defining function in Kazakhstan’s growth.
Even earlier than the convention, China performed a visual half in Kazakhstan’s digital technique, each by sharing related data and by integrating Chinese language {hardware} to propel Kazakhstan’s hypermodern ambitions. For instance, the Chinese language agency Huawei is the supplier of a number of elements of Kazakhstan’s essential infrastructure.
Tokayev’s Shanghai go to was preceded by a visit by Kazakh Overseas Minister Yermek Kosherbayev to Beijing on July 13, the place he met together with his Chinese language counterpart, Wang Yi. There, Wang expressed optimism in regards to the upcoming assembly.
“The 2 heads of state will conduct in-depth strategic communication, injecting new impetus into the event of bilateral relations,” the Chinese language overseas minister said.
Concurrently, Kosherbayev confirmed nice curiosity in sustaining shut relations between the 2 international locations, asserting that Kazakhstan at all times prioritizes cooperation with China.
In his Shanghai speech, Tokayev additional emphasised the dimensions of Sino-Kazakh financial relations: “Final yr, bilateral commerce quantity reached $49 billion. This can be a file excessive. China has invested over $30 billion in Kazakhstan’s economic system,” the president stated in the course of the roundtable with heads of a number of Chinese language high-tech corporations.
The speech was adopted by one other step towards nearer cooperation, with the 2 international locations signing greater than 70 agreements and memorandums value over $15 billion. In addition to offers within the logistics sector, a number of the largest agreements involved the digital growth of, or deployment of, synthetic intelligence in Kazakhstan. Astana turned one in all 29 governments to signal on to the Shanghai-based World Synthetic Intelligence Cooperation Group.
Huawei emerged because the greatest beneficiary, agreeing to a strategic partnership with the Kazakh Ministry of Synthetic Intelligence and Digital Growth whereas additionally signing a deal on the supply of kit for Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund. Alongside this, Kazakhtelecom additionally agreed on the essential rules for future cooperation within the building of the Knowledge Middle Valley, a 1 GW information middle in northeastern Kazakhstan that, when constructed, is about to grow to be the largest of its variety in Central Asia.
Even supposing a full record of the greater than 70 agreements and memorandums has not been revealed, the publicly accessible information means that a lot of the offers middle across the supply of Chinese language merchandise to Kazakhstan, and never the opposite means round. Whereas Kazakhstan exports essential minerals to China, resembling copper used within the manufacturing of electrical autos, Chinese language corporations have been key to Kazakhstan’s digitalization over the previous a number of years.
China’s give attention to Kazakhstan shifted noticeably in 2022. That yr, Huawei determined to relocate a number of of its operations from Russia to Central Asia, following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Huawei was later additionally chosen to construct Kazakhstan’s 5G infrastructure, thereby giving the corporate leverage over essential infrastructure.
Furthermore, the telecommunications firm additionally signed agreements associated to future information facilities in Kazakhstan simply final yr, together with a memorandum beneath which Huawei will help with cybersecurity efforts within the Kazakh power sector going ahead.
On a broader stage, China has already influenced Kazakhstan’s strategy to safety. In line with Radio Azattyk, this may be seen not solely within the expertise used, which comes from China, but additionally within the strategies of nationwide surveillance.
As Tokayev returns house, Kazakhstan’s technological dependence on China seems set to deepen. With this, a profitable hyper-digitalization of Kazakhstan will profit each the Central Asian nation and the Chinese language economic system.