Kazakhstan and China Strengthen Industrial Partnership: Meeting with CFIE and BRICA Delegation

On May 30, 2025, a meeting was held in Astana between the leadership of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Atameken”, the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan, and a delegation from the China Federation of Industrial Economics (CFIE) and the Belt and Road Industrial and Commercial Alliance (BRICA).

From the Kazakh side, the meeting was attended by Chairman of the Presidium of Atameken NCE Raimbek Batalov, Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan Murat Karimsakov, as well as managing directors for sectoral areas of Atameken. The Chinese delegation was led by Xiong Meng, Party Secretary and Executive Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Industrial Economics, and Secretary-General of BRICA.

The Chinese delegation also included Zheng Gaoqing, Chairman of Jiangxi Copper Co., Ltd; Yang Golin, Deputy General Director of China General Technology (Group) Holding Co., Ltd; Bao Feng, General Director of China National Agricultural Reclamation Group Co., Ltd; and Ma Cuibin, Board Member of JAC Group.

During the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for expanding bilateral industrial and investment cooperation, as well as the participation of Kazakhstani entrepreneurs in the Global Business Leaders Summit and the BRICA Summit. Special attention was paid to the possibility of holding the 2026 BRICA Summit in Almaty and to the preparation of a Memorandum of Cooperation within the framework of the upcoming SCO Summit.

In his welcome speech, Raimbek Batalov noted: “We highly value the opportunity for direct and substantive dialogue with one of China’s key industrial organizations — the China Federation of Industrial Economics, as well as with the Belt and Road Industrial and Commercial Alliance. We are convinced that open dialogue, exchange of experience, and the implementation of joint initiatives will give new impetus to our relations and open practical opportunities for cooperation in strategically important industries.”

In turn, Xiong Meng spoke about the activities of BRICA and CFIE: “Over the past 10 years, our alliance has made significant progress. We have held summits in various countries, and today our network includes more than 30 participants — from business associations to companies from different nations. The number of member enterprises has exceeded 23,000. We are currently discussing the alliance’s development trajectory for the coming years to consolidate our achievements and set new goals,” he emphasized.

The parties confirmed their interest in expanding cooperation in such areas as metallurgy, chemical industry, mechanical engineering, agro-industrial complex, logistics, and green energy.

According to the results of 2024, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and China reached a record $43.8 billion, which is 9% more than in 2023. In the first quarter of 2025, trade turnover amounted to $7.2 billion, making up 24.6% of Kazakhstan’s total foreign trade for this period. China consistently ranks among the top five largest investors in Kazakhstan’s economy.

As of today, over 5,500 enterprises with Chinese capital are registered in Kazakhstan, more than 3,800 of which are actively operating. This demonstrates the high level of trust of Chinese businesses in Kazakhstan’s investment climate and ongoing economic policy.

Following the meeting, the parties expressed their commitment to further deepening the partnership, developing concrete projects, and maintaining regular dialogue between the business communities of the two countries.