Book hailed for elaborating on modernization

China's development has drawn global attention for its scale, dynamism and, above all, stability, said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of the China Studies Center in Kazakhstan. For her, however, the more revealing point is what gives the country's development its continuity, resilience and sense of direction.

The answer, she said, lies in the governing ideas systematically presented in the series of volumes of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China.

Speaking at a book event for the fifth volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, Shaimergenova described the book as a key to understanding the logic of Chinese modernization. The volume brings together 91 of President Xi Jinping's works from May 2022 to December 2024.

The book shows how China seeks to advance its own modernization while contributing to global governance and offering Chinese approaches to pressing global challenges, notably through the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, she said.

Shaimergenova said that China's governance is underpinned by strategic planning and long-term goals. Rather than seeking short-term political gains, it focuses on achieving economic objectives through sustained effort.

China's experience shows that such an approach can reduce the risks of abrupt policy shifts, provide society, businesses and international partners with clear and stable expectations, and create favorable conditions for more systematic and sustained development, she said.

For Kazakhstan, understanding the logic behind Chinese modernization is not merely an academic exercise. China is Kazakhstan's largest trading partner and a major source of investment, so a clearer understanding of its development drivers and strategic direction can help improve bilateral dialogue and the effectiveness of cooperation projects, she said.

Mo Gaoyi, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the State Council Information Office, said that the fifth volume elaborates on China's people-centered development philosophy and its commitment to improving people's well-being.

It also reflects China's support for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and greater openness, as well as its efforts to promote green development, harmony between humanity and nature, and exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, he said.

China and Kazakhstan are both at crucial stages in their development and national renewal, Mo said. He expressed hope that the event would serve as a new starting point for deeper exchanges on governance experience and greater mutual learning between the two countries.

Elnur Beisenbayev, head of the Domestic Policy Department of the Executive Office of the President of Kazakhstan, said that the presentation of the fifth volume marked a new step in cultural and people-to-people cooperation between Kazakhstan and China.

Beisenbayev described the book as an important reference for readers seeking to understand China's political development, governance experience, approaches to national unity and social stability, and long-term strategic goals.

China is a reliable friend of Kazakhstan, and the two countries share similar approaches to development, including pursuing modernization in line with their own national conditions and promoting sustainable development, he said.

He added that exchanges on national governance, digital transformation, the efficiency of public services and governance culture are becoming increasingly important.

Manarbek Kabaziyev, deputy chairman of the board of the Foreign Policy Research Institute under Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the fifth volume sets out the contemporary thinking underpinning China's development, with an emphasis on high-quality growth, technological innovation, digital transformation, environmental sustainability and building a community with a shared future for humanity.

These ideas, he said, also offer guidance for the next stage of Belt and Road cooperation. Beyond trade and infrastructure, cooperation should foster new knowledge and technologies, develop human capital and strengthen long-term strategic trust.

For Kazakhstan, this means moving beyond the role of a transit hub to become a partner in joint production, innovation and the development of higher-value industrial chains, supported by closer cooperation among think tanks, universities and research institutions, he said.

Raikhan Abdrasilova, deputy general director of the China National Petroleum Corporation International in Kazakhstan, said that many of the ideas discussed in the fifth volume have already found practical expression in China-Kazakhstan cooperation.

She cited energy cooperation, which has expanded beyond resource extraction and supply into a long-term partnership built on investment, technology transfer, human capital development and shared responsibility for the future. This evolution, she said, reflects the volume's emphasis on high-quality development, innovation-driven growth and environmental responsibility.