Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held an official meeting with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China. At the beginning of the meeting, in recognition of the high guest’s personal contribution to the development of bilateral partnership, President Tokayev awarded Zhao Leji the Order of Dostyk, 1st degree, for his significant contribution to deepening the Kazakhstan-China eternal comprehensive strategic partnership.
During the talks, the Head of State emphasized that the friendship between the peoples of the two countries has a solid historical foundation and is developing in the spirit of good-neighborliness and mutual trust. President Tokayev expressed sincere gratitude to the Chinese people, the country’s leadership, and personally to Chairman Xi Jinping for their unwavering support for Kazakhstan, stressing that strengthening the strategic partnership with China remains an unconditional foreign policy priority for Kazakhstan.
The central focus of the conversation was trade and economic cooperation. The sides noted with satisfaction that 2025 had become historic for bilateral relations: mutual trade reached a record $49 billion, and the total volume of Chinese investment in Kazakhstan’s economy exceeded $29 billion, confirming China’s status as one of the republic’s largest investors. President Tokayev also announced that he had signed the law ratifying the bilateral agreement on the promotion and mutual protection of investments, expressing confidence that this document would create additional legal guarantees for expanding business activity and attracting new capital.
Continuing the economic theme, the sides moved on to discuss interparliamentary dialogue and cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The importance of regular exchanges between the legislative bodies of the two countries was noted as an important tool for strengthening mutual trust and harmonizing legislative approaches. The leaders also expressed their intention to develop cooperation in the educational, cultural, and humanitarian spheres as an integral dimension of the strategic partnership.
In the context of the international agenda, President Tokayev particularly emphasized the closeness of the two countries’ positions on key global issues. Kazakhstan and China cooperate fruitfully within the framework of the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia. The Head of State expressed support for the global initiatives put forward by China in the areas of development, civilizational dialogue, and global governance, confirmed Kazakhstan’s unwavering commitment to the one-China policy, and also full support for strengthening the multilateral cooperation format of Central Asia – China.
Zhao Leji, in turn, conveyed to the President of Kazakhstan the best wishes from PRC Chairman Xi Jinping and highly praised the dynamics of bilateral relations, noting that in recent years they have reached a qualitatively new level. He recalled the two meetings of the leaders in 2025 – in Astana and Tianjin – as evidence of the special nature of Kazakhstan-China ties.
Concluding the meeting, Zhao Leji also congratulated President Tokayev on the successful nationwide referendum on adopting Kazakhstan’s new Constitution, calling this step a strategically important decision that lays a solid legal foundation for the country’s long-term development.
Photo: Akorda.kz
