A new contour of strategic partnership

China-Kazakhstan cooperation transforms global AI governance from passive observation to active participation

The meeting of the leaders of China and Kazakhstan in Shanghai on the sidelines of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in July is an important milestone not only for bilateral relations, but also for the formation of a new architecture of the digital world. AI is turning from a technological topic into a key dimension of geopolitics and global governance, with Astana and Beijing together demonstrating readiness to build a long-term agenda in this area.

In his speech at the opening of the conference, Chinese President Xi Jinping presented a holistic vision of global AI governance. The central idea is the need to develop a fair and sustainable regulatory system in which AI serves “for the benefit of humanity”, remains under human control and becomes a source of joint development, rather than a new line of division.

The Chinese leader proposed four key pillars for such a system: openness and mutual benefit as a condition for innovative development; technological safety and controllability as a priority; inclusiveness and the mutual enrichment of civilizations; and solidarity and the strengthened multilateral regulation under the framework of the United Nations. Separate emphasis was placed on supporting Global South countries in building their capacity, overcoming the digital and AI divide, and rejecting the emergence of new injustice in the field of advanced technologies.

For Kazakhstan, this is not an abstract declaration. In essence, this is an invitation to work together on global rules of the game, based on the principles of a genuine multilateral approach and respect for the sovereignty of states in choosing national trajectories of digital development.

In his speech, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev fully supported the idea of “AI for the benefit of all” and embedded it into a broader discourse on fair global governance. He emphasized that the rapid spread of AI should not lead to the consolidation of a new technological inequality between countries that possess competencies and infrastructure and those that risk remaining only consumers of digital solutions.

The key thesis of the Kazakh leader is that “no country should remain only a consumer of AI”. Behind this formula lies a clear understanding: the issue of access to advanced technologies is no longer only about the economy, but also a matter of justice, opportunities for the development of human capital and institutional sovereignty. President Tokayev linked the AI agenda with the tasks of sustainable development, the green transition agenda and protection from new risks — from cyber threats to manipulation using deepfakes and digital fraud.

Against this background, Kazakhstan’s proposal to create a permanent international expert platform on AI regulation, standards and ethics, and its support for efforts to form a more inclusive architecture of global governance, appear as a logical continuation of the country’s course toward just modernization.

The Shanghai meeting showed that the digital and AI agenda is becoming a new strategic dimension of relations between Kazakhstan and China. It is not only about access to technologies, but also about the coordination of long-term strategies and regulatory approaches, from national digital transformation programs to standards in the field of AI safety and ethics.

The declared readiness of China to share technologies in the field of the digital economy and AI, to support the digital transformation of Kazakhstan and to develop new formats of cooperation in e-commerce and trade in services, is built into a logical line with previous initiatives under the Belt and Road Initiative and industrial-innovation projects. In essence, a transition is beginning from the infrastructure of “iron” corridors to the formation of a “digital belt” of data networks, platform solutions and joint standards.

For Kazakhstan, such a form of interaction opens up several opportunities at once. First, it is the acceleration of its own agenda of a digital state and knowledge economy through technology transfer, the creation of joint research centers and personnel training. Second, it is the strengthening of the country’s role as a digital bridge between China and Western markets, where the Silk Road is supplemented by digital corridors of data and services.

The main challenge today is to translate the principles voiced in Shanghai into the language of concrete projects. In the bilateral dimension, several areas can be distinguished where Kazakhstan and China have the potential to quickly move from political signals to practical implementation.

First, joint research and educational initiatives in the field of AI. There is scope for the creation of bilateral competence centers, academic exchange programs and university networks under the auspices of relevant international structures, including the World AI Cooperation Organization.

Second, the development of the “digital belt”. The two countries should promote the integration of transport and logistics corridors with platform solutions in the field of electronic customs services, cross-border e-commerce and “smart” logistics, where AI is used to optimize flows.

Third, the common “green” agenda. Both sides should use AI to increase energy efficiency, manage loads in the energy system, monitor emissions, and manage water and land resources. For Kazakhstan, which is implementing a course toward carbon neutrality and environmental modernization, Chinese technologies can become a key resource if cooperation is built on transparent principles and takes national priorities into account.

Finally, regulatory governance and ethics. Here, joint working groups, exchanges of experience between regulators and the participation of experts from the two countries in the formation of international standards can become the area where Kazakhstan not only receives technologies, but also makes its own contribution to shaping rules.

AI and digital transformation are becoming a test of the maturity of the Kazakhstan-China strategic partnership. Whether the two countries will be able to turn the convergence of the principles of “AI for the benefit of all”, justice and multilateralism into a coordinated practical agenda will determine not only the dynamics of bilateral relations, but also the contribution of the two countries to the formation of a fair architecture of global AI governance.

The Shanghai meeting of the leaders, their speeches at the global AI conference and the declared plans to align development strategies and the digital agenda show that China and Kazakhstan are ready to move from observing the global technological revolution to participating in its governance. For Kazakhstan, this is a chance not only to accelerate its own digital modernization, but also to establish itself as an active co-architect of the new rules of the digital world, and not just a recipient of others’ decisions.

The author is the director of the China Studies Center (Kazakhstan) and the Kazakh co-director of the Chinese Modernization Research Center in Kazakhstan.

The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.