An expert sinologist thoroughly analyzed Tokayev's trip to China

The 2022 foreign policy schedule of the head of state opened with a working visit to the People's Republic of China.
The official purpose of the working visit was participation in the XXIV Winter Olympics opening ceremony. On February 5, in Beijing, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Chinese President Xi Jinping also held talks and discussed prospects for further development of the all-out Kazakh-Chinese strategic partnership.
Despite the fact that the meeting of the two leaders was short due to the busy event agenda, some significant results can be identified.
During a face-to-face personal meeting the heads of Kazakhstan and China compared their opinions on topical issues of the global agenda and bilateral relations.
At the background of a rapidly changing international situation, the level of geopolitical tension increases significantly. Tensions are growing in various regions of the planet and new security risks emerge. The pandemic has not yet ended and still has a negative impact on the global community sustainable development.
Facing global uncertainty, no state can cope with a number of crises alone. Apparently, that's why the 2022 Winter Olympics in China are held under the motto "Together for a Common Future."
Conceptually, this motto reflects the fact that a large and effective China needs reliable friends and partners. Today, the PRC deserves to be among the group of world leaders in terms of all key progress indicators. But against the backdrop of the Chinese economy growth, various political, trade and economic claims against the PRC appear everywhere, which are likely to be based on fears of increasing competition potential of China.
The meeting in person of the heads of Kazakhstan and China after a forced long break, made it possible to resume personal relations between Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Xi Jinping, which are of special importance for Chinese diplomacy. These negotiations between the two leaders on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics became their third meeting in person, while the first one took place in June 2019 during the CICA summit in Dushanbe, the second was held in Beijing in September of the same year during the state visit of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan to China.
In the atmosphere of trust, the parties were able to discuss all globbal agenda issues of mutual concern, clarify positions and interests, and share views on further international development scenarios.
Certainly, the pandemic had a strong negative impact on the format of cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and China, but regular contacts between the two leaders continued during 2.5 years through various traditional (exchange of letters, phone calls, etc.), and new interactive channels (the Central Asia - China Summit in January 2022). However, a face-to-face and direct dialogue is of a special importance for Kazakhstan and China, which are implementing many transnational projects in the field of trade, transport and energy, having an effect that goes far beyond bilateral relations and changing the geo-economy structure, at least in Eurasia.
Press releases on the results of negotiations, published through the official channels of both countries, although being very restrained and brief in terms of their content, shaped a clear understanding of the fact that during the meeting the leaders, Kazakhstan and China confirmed the similarity of their positions on major global issues and willingness of both sides to develop further good neighborly and mutually beneficial cooperation in the new geopolitical realities.
Kazakhstan and China reaffirmed the principles of mutual support in bilateral relations. For three decades, the two neighboring countries have always provided each other with friendly and partner support and mutual assistance.
"A friend in need is a friend indeed" is a well-known proverb, the meaning of which is understandable to the Kazakh and Chinese peoples, and it has been repeatedly tested and confirmed throughout the history of relations between the two countries. Against the backdrop of the tragic events in our country this January, China expressed support for the actions of the Kazakhstan leadership and offered the republic any necessary assistance. At that time, Chinese President Xi Jinping noted that 'China strongly opposed external forces that deliberately provoke unrests in Kazakhstan."
During his meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Chinese leader emphasized the importance of China-Kazakhstan relations for peace and stability in the region and around the globe. Xi Jinping said that an independent, safe, stable and prosperous Kazakhstan represents the common interests of the Kazakh and Chinese peoples. Moreover, China will always be a reliable friend and faithful partner of Kazakhstan.
China always supports our country in defending independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and believes that Kazakhstan is capable of maintaining national security and social stability.
What can such statement be a sign of? First of all, as the January events revealed, Kazakhstan has truly reliable and friendly partners, and that all the efforts and forces invested in the development of Kazakh-Chinese relations bring real political dividends.
Moreover, behind these diplomatic messages one can also see that in the contemporary geo-economic environment in Eurasia, thanks to its pragmatic policy, Kazakhstan managed to take a really important and advantageous place, becoming an effective hub between Asia and Europe. And now many countries of the continent are interested in a stable and prosperous Kazakhstan.
The meeting of the two leaders during the anniversary year, marked a new period of further development of bilateral relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People's Republic of China. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 30 years ago, cooperation between China and Kazakhstan has been consistently moving to new levels, having gone from recognition in 1992 and the establishment of good neighborly relations to the level of an eternal and comprehensive strategic partnership in 2019. As the PRC leader emphasized, the meeting with the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Beijing marked the beginning of the "new golden 30th anniversary of relations" between Kazakhstan and the People's Republic of China.
This traditional, oriental-style symbolic wording implies new development opportunities. In particular, this period will be against the backdrop of the continued the modernization of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which has entered the fourth decade of its independence and has launched a new stage of reforms and qualitative upgrade, which has been conceptually declared as the "new Kazakhstan" development. And it will also be characterized by the further global rise of China, which, according to analysts, could become the top global economy as early as 2028.
The growth trends of the Republic of Kazakhstan and China will contribute to keeping up to date the content of bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the 21st century.
During the talks between Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Xi Jinping the special focus was made on joint efforts to build up trade and economic relations. The parties shared the same opinion on the need to intensify joint activities on the further development of the One Belt, One Road initiative, including through the implementation of large-scale projects of a high added value. First of all, it applies to the areas of digitalization, "green" technologies and innovations, where China's successes are most obvious. At the same time, Kazakhstan, being a key link in the Belt and Road, supports the updated cooperation criteria declared by the PRC leader - high standards of projects, their continuity and social focus.
Kazakhstan and China will go on with diversification of transit and transport routes and introduce integrated logistics solutions, including through the launch of new land routes. Earlier, at the Central Asia-China summit, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced that Kazakhstan had plans to invest $20 billion for these purposes by 2025.
The infrastructure upgrade will expand transit routes from China, meeting the growing needs of the countries in the region. According to the World Bank estimates, the further development of transport communications in Central Asia can provide an additional growth in the GDP of the five republics by up to 15%. This will further strengthen position of our region in the Eurasian trade, transport and technological exchanges.
Among the interesting and very pragmatic ideas voiced at the meeting of the two leaders there was also the issue of a possible opening in Kazakhstan of a branch of one of the Chinese technical universities. It's worth mentioning that during his meeting with domestic entrepreneurs in January, the President voiced the need to open several branches of leading foreign technical universities in the Republic of Kazakhstan for the purpose of a quality development of national education in the fields of engineering and technology.
China has long established itself as an industrial power having a strong position in the field of innovation - China has the largest robotics market, the country is a leader in the 5G standard implementation, three Chinese companies are among the top 5 global smart phone manufacturers, and many Chinese technical universities are recognized internationally.
Furthermore, given the widespread use of Chinese technologies in the world and the implementation of a number of joint industrial projects with the PRC in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, opportunity to study Chinese technical standards in Kazakhstan universities will boost the competitiveness of their graduates.
And finally, acceptance by the President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping of an invitation to visit Kazakhstan this year turned to be a significant political result of the meeting.
The Chinese leader announced his plans to visit our country in September 2022, and also expressed his readiness to maintain regular contacts with the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
We believe that the visit of the President of the People's Republic of China during the year marking the 30th anniversary of bilateral relations and being the first over the past 5 years (Xi Jinping visited Kazakhstan in June 2017) will certainly be a significant impetus to further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The recent meeting of the two heads of state in Beijing was held being limited in time and in a very brief format. In Nur-Sultan, there will be an opportunity to hold talks with the Chinese representatives in a variety of formats, plan and hold a series of events, draw up a joint action plan for the two countries based on the meeting results, and, following the diplomatic tradition, sign appropriate joint declaration.
Such future document is expected to solidify all areas of bilateral relations for the new "golden period" of the next 30 years of cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People's Republic of China.
AUTHOR:
Gulnar Shaimergenova, Director of the Center for Chinese Studies, Nur-Sultan
01:30,10 February 2022

Source: kazpravda.kz
Image source: kazpravda.kz