Public diplomacy of Kazakhstan and its role in the development of relations with China
The long border and successful economic relations contribute to the active development of public diplomacy between Kazakhstan and China. Unlike public diplomacy, public diplomacy allows us to strengthen ties between states through the active interaction of societies. Government bodies play a key role in the development of interpersonal contacts, creating conditions for the development of public diplomacy. They launch transport routes (rail, air and road), simplify administrative procedures (for example, visa regime) and take mutual measures to create a positive image (promotion of languages and culture).
For Kazakhstan, public diplomacy is important because it helps strengthen interpersonal contacts, develop cultural and educational exchanges, and create conditions for long-term cooperation at all levels of society. On July 9, 2024, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in a conversation with public figure and academician Mukhtar Kul-Mukhamed, noted the importance of multilateral cooperation of Kazakhstan in order to ensure effective regional interaction based on equal partnership. According to the President, public diplomacy can play a special role in strengthening mutual trust and good neighborliness between peoples and states [1].
Kazakhstan positions itself as a middle power and therefore promoting dialogue, including through public diplomacy, is strategically important for Kazakhstan. The President of Kazakhstan especially emphasized this in his article for Euronews: “The path to global unity is not unknown – it has been successfully passed before. The world has overcome differences in the past and can do so again through diplomacy and dialogue.”[2] Taking this into account, this article examines the goals, tools and actors of Kazakhstan’s public diplomacy, as well as the role of the country’s public diplomacy in developing relations with an important strategic partner like China.
Public diplomacy of Kazakhstan: goals, tools and actors
When studying public diplomacy of any state, the main problem is to determine the scope of its activities. The fact is that when searching for scientific literature on this topic, it becomes clear that the theoretical understanding of this phenomenon is still in progress. Despite this, a number of people who make decisions or have influence on decision-making in practice actively use the term “public diplomacy”.
For example, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in his video message to the participants of the International Forum “Public Diplomacy as a Tool of Soft Power in the Development of International Cooperation” noted that “efforts through foreign policy services should be supported by contacts among scientific, political science, and businesses, cultural figures” [3]. Public diplomacy found its place in a joint statement by the leaders of the United States and Central Asia, which noted that the governments of the parties “call” to find new opportunities to expand cooperation in the cultural, educational, scientific and social spheres and develop closer ties between people [4].
As noted by Wang Chao, President of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA), People-to-People Diplomacy initiated by the Chinese Communist Party promotes international friendship and strengthens China’s global relations. CPIFA, founded in 1949 by Premier Zhou Enlai, played a key role in these efforts. Over the past 70 years, public diplomacy has expanded China’s diplomatic influence, supported independence movements in third world countries, and improved relations with Western countries [5]. She played an important role in establishing diplomatic ties between China and Japan and China and France, and laid the foundation for relations between China and the United States after President Nixon’s visit. Chao also adds that public diplomacy is an integral part of China’s overall diplomatic strategy, promoting the formation of a community with a common destiny for mankind [5].
The above examples of the Russian Federation, the USA and the PRC show how extensive public diplomacy is, harmonizing the steps taken by governments. This is probably the reason why it is difficult to theoretically process this phenomenon, since the simple interaction of people of two different nationalities is the beginning of public diplomacy. Public diplomacy can begin from the interaction of tourists with the local population of the visited state and end with the creation of joint centers, strengthening cooperation on the basis of the analytical and scientific community of two different states.
But the key role in promoting public diplomacy is still given to the state. It is the states that determine the foundations, or even more precisely, the framework of interaction between the ordinary population of the two states. For this reason, in the further writing of this work, it is necessary to proceed from the conditions already created by the two China and Kazakhstan for the development of contacts at the level of the ordinary population, and then proceed to the study of statistical data regarding the promotion of public diplomacy of Kazakhstan in China.
Kazakhstan strives to achieve a number of important goals through the promotion of public diplomacy. The main emphasis is on strengthening international relations, which helps to establish friendly and partnership ties with other countries. Particular attention is paid to expanding cultural and educational exchanges, which contributes to better mutual understanding and respect between peoples, as well as increasing the international prestige of the country.
In addition, public diplomacy supports economic cooperation, helping to promote Kazakhstan’s economic interests, attract investment and expand trade ties. Meetings with business communities and participation in international exhibitions play an important role here. Humanitarian engagement also plays a significant role in this strategy, including emergency assistance, healthcare development, and support for educational projects abroad.
Promoting public diplomacy helps to increase the country’s tourist attractiveness, attracting tourists and developing tourism infrastructure. This also helps Kazakhstan promote its image on the international stage, becoming a recognizable and respected member of the global community. As a result, such efforts strengthen the status of Kazakhstan on the world stage, demonstrating its ability to actively participate in global processes and contribute to the global community.
Among the instruments of public diplomacy in Kazakhstan, the following can be distinguished:
For this reason, the number of actors who can be attributed to the promotion of public diplomacy of Kazakhstan abroad is quite large, but among the key ones we can note the International Information Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Information Committee of the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Otandastar Foundation “, organization ” Kazakh Tourism ”, Abai Institute, Kazakh media that broadcast in foreign languages, akims of border regions and settlements and many other organizations.
The role of public diplomacy in the development of relations between China and Kazakhstan
The development of cultural cooperation between Kazakhstan and China is quite a promising direction in bilateral relations. According to the website of the Abai Institute, branches of the organization do not yet operate in China, but they exist in a number of countries in Europe and Central Asia [6]. But the House of Abai operates in China. But at the moment, the real impetus for bilateral people’s relations is given not only by the presence of cultural centers, but by the availability of opportunities to develop contacts at the level of ordinary people. A truly breakthrough should be called the decision of the parties to lift visa restrictions on visiting each other’s territory. The number of Chinese visitors to Kazakhstan has increased significantly in recent years. The introduction of a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens in July 2022 and the subsequent introduction of a reciprocal visa-free regime in November 2023 contributed to the growth in the number of Chinese tourists. As a result, the number of tourists from China increased from 18 thousand to 217 thousand people, which is 12 times more than previous figures [7]. It is expected that the flow of tourists from China will continue to grow in 2024 due to the Year of Kazakhstan Tourism in China and further initiatives to improve tourism services.
The growth of tourist ties between the two countries increases the overall level of relations between the two states, as the population begins to become more familiar with each other and perceive the rapprochement of the two states in a positive way. In addition, the presence of a visa-free regime contributes to the development of business ties, since Kazakhstan is now focused on developing its own exports to China, as stated by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during negotiations with the head of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping: “Kazakhstan is ready to supply (to China) legumes crops, high-quality environmentally friendly chilled meat of beef and lamb” [8].
For this reason, holding the Kazakhstan Tourism Year in China is of great importance. The year of tourism in China, which became known during the official visit of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to China in 2023. The opening of the Year of Tourism took place on March 28 and 29 in Beijing and included several key events, such as the Kazakh-Chinese forum on tourism and investment development, an exhibition of regions of Kazakhstan, cultural events in the ethno-village and a gala concert. Representatives of the Kazakh authorities, artists and cultural figures took part in the events [9].
Initially, it was known that the Year of Tourism of Kazakhstan in China would lead to a significant increase in tourist flow between countries, strengthening cultural and economic ties; increasing the number of direct flights to 30 per week and holding presentations of Kazakhstan’s tourism opportunities in Chinese cities such as Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, Urumqi, Hong Kong, Hangzhou and Chengdu [9]. At the moment, it is known that direct train flights from Xi’an to Almaty have already been launched. At the moment, for the development of public diplomacy, it is important for Kazakhstan to expand the number of air services with China. According to the website ” Flights” from » from Almaty airport there are 4 air connections with China, namely with the cities of Urumqi, Xi’an, Hangzhou and Beijing, while at the same time there are 5 air connections with Turkey, flights on which are much more frequent [10]. There are 9 air connections from Almaty to Russia. From Astana there are 3 flights to China, to Turkey 4, to Russia 8 [eleven]. And in fact, you can get corresponding results on the number of registered enterprises with foreign participation in Kazakhstan, the largest number of companies with Russian participation in Kazakhstan – 19.4 thousand (an increase of 24% compared to last year). With Turkish – 3.8 thousand (an increase of 4.7% compared to last year), Uzbekistan – 3 thousand (an increase of 38.5% compared to last year), Chinese – 2.4 thousand (an increase by 36% compared to last year) [12].
In conclusion, it should be noted that strengthening public diplomacy through cultural exchanges, tourism and business ties between Kazakhstan and China has proven to be a significant factor in the development of bilateral relations. The lifting of visa restrictions and initiatives such as the Year of Kazakhstan Tourism in China have significantly increased the flow of tourists and strengthened mutual understanding. These developments not only promote closer cultural ties, but also create a strong foundation for economic cooperation with growing business interactions and trade prospects. As Kazakhstan continues to expand air and rail connections with China, and as Chinese investment in Kazakhstan increases, relations between the two countries are expected to further deepen, promoting a stable and mutually beneficial partnership in the region.
List of sources: (hyperlink and file)
China Studies Centre
