Kazakh and Chinese Foreign Ministers strengthen strategic partnership during meeting in Tianjin
During a recent meeting in China, Murat Nurtleu, Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Wang Yi, China's Minister of Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the Kazakhstan-China strategic partnership. The meeting took place on July 15 during Nurtleu's visit to China for the regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States.
Key points discussed included the current state and future prospects of cooperation across political, trade-economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres. A major focus was on the practical implementation of agreements reached during the leaders' meetings this year in Astana, where ambitious new goals were set to further enhance bilateral ties.
Discussion centered around expansion in trade, economic, investment, energy, and transit-transport cooperation. The diplomats also exchanged views on pressing regional and international issues, with a consensus to continue close coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, SCO, CICA, and the Central Asia–China format.
In terms of recent strategic agreements and developments, Kazakhstan and China signed over USD 17 billion in trade and investment agreements at the second China-Central Asia Summit in June 2025, hosted in Astana. This includes a significant nuclear cooperation deal with the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), positioning Kazakhstan as a key uranium supplier to China, enhancing bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy.
Additionally, Kazakhstan and China have recently signed a new agreement on strategic cooperation in railway transportation, strengthening the transit and transport links between the two nations. President Xi Jinping pledged significant investment (RMB 1.5 billion, about USD 209 million) in trade, mineral, and transport sectors in the region, underscoring China’s commitment to economic integration in Central Asia.
The talks also focused on setting new ambitious goals for cooperation and outlining a further trajectory for cooperation. Upcoming high-level events discussed include continued high- and top-level meetings to ensure smooth implementation of agreements and to maintain close political dialog.
In summary, Kazakhstan and China are actively advancing their strategic partnership through major trade, energy, and infrastructure agreements, alongside a robust schedule of diplomatic engagements aimed at fostering deeper cooperation and addressing regional/global issues together.
In the context of their strategic partnership, Murat Nurtleu and Wang Yi addressed politics and general news such as expansion in trade, economic, and investment cooperation, energy development, and regional and international issues during their meeting. They also discussed the implementation of recent agreements, including the nuclear cooperation deal and a new agreement on strategic cooperation in railway transportation.
