CIIE Stories丨Entering 'golden gateway' to reap 'golden fruits'

Today, Kazakh companies eagerly pass through the "golden gateway" each year, reaping substantial "golden fruits".

Gathering like friends

According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, the total trade volume between China and Central Asian countries reached $94.8 billion in 2024, with Kazakhstan ranking first in trade volume with China, accounting for over 46 percent. "We will not stop here. Integration among Central Asian countries is also underway. The QazTrade has established joint ventures with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Through our cooperation with these countries and our connection with China, Central Asian trade is continuously developing," Aldazharov said. "The QazTrade has played an active role in promoting relations between Central Asia and China, acting as a bridge."

The CIIE plays a unique and important role in expanding economic and trade cooperation between China and Central Asian countries. Since the first CIIE in 2018, the five Central Asian countries have participated every year without missing a single event. The "Four-leaf Clover" showcases the rich products of the five Central Asian countries, and the fruitful cooperation results inject "CIIE momentum" into the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

While promoting Central Asian exports to China, the QazTrade also collaborates with various Chinese provinces. "In every province, we can feel the CIIE's impact. At the CIIE, we have gathered like friends and become trade partners." Aldazharov said.

Kazakhstan's great poet and thinker Abai Kunanbayev once said, "The world is like an ocean, the times are like a strong wind, the waves in front are like elder brothers, the waves behind are like younger brothers, the wind pushes the waves behind to push the waves in front, and it has always been so through the ages." In the historical tide of deepening cooperation, the CIIE continues to rejuvenate the China-Kazakhstan relationship and China-Central Asia relations rooted in the ancient Silk Road.