ASTANA (TCA) — Kazakhstan and China have signed $2 billion in deals during a visit by the Communist Party chief of China’s westernmost Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to Kazakhstan, RFE/RL reported citing Chinese media.
The restive Xinjiang — which is strategically located on the borders of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan — is a key part of what Beijing officially refers to as its “One Belt, One Road” strategy to develop trade and transport links across Asia and beyond.
During his visit from May 1-4, Xinjiang’s party chief and top official Zhang Chunxian said Xinjiang and Kazakhstan would both benefit from the establishment of a new Silk Road.
Zhang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, oversaw the signing of five energy, agricultural, and industrial projects worth more than $2 billion, Chinese media reported on May 5.
Zhang Chunxian said that China is ready to expand cooperation with Kazakhstan in the areas of trade and economy, investment, agriculture, tourism, and culture.
Thanks to the efforts of the leaders of the two countries, the China-proposed Silk Road Economic Belt dovetails with Kazakhstan’s new economic policy, called the Bright Road, Xinhua quoted Zhang as saying during his meeting with Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Karim Masimov.
There are three Kazakh autonomous prefectures within Xinjiang, where at least 1.5 million ethnic Kazakhs, 250,000 Kyrgyz, and some 200,000 Tajiks live.
