ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 8. Kazakhstan and China are putting their heads together to chart the course for electronic commerce and to broaden the horizons of their economic partnership, Trend reports via Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Arman Shakkaliev, met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Kazakhstan, Han Chunlin, who recently began his diplomatic mission. The sides discussed the prospects for expanding trade and economic cooperation, as well as collaboration in the field of international electronic platforms.
Special attention was given to the development of online trade. During the conversation, successful initiatives on leading Chinese marketplaces such as JD.com, Alibaba, and Douyin were reviewed. The national pavilion of Kazakhstan on the Alibaba platform, launched in 2022, brings together 290 domestic companies and offers more than 7,500 products. The total sales volume through this platform has already exceeded $260 million. In 2023, a Kazakhstan pavilion was opened on JD.com, featuring over 60 product categories. The platform has more than 960 million subscribers, and sales revenue from Kazakhstani goods on JD.com increased from 1 million yuan ($140,000) in 2023 to 1.3 million yuan ($182,000) in 2024.
According to Arman Shakkaliev, bilateral trade reached a historic maximum by the end of 2024. The Minister emphasized that Kazakhstan intends to actively diversify exports and expand the range of products supplied.
On the other hand, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the PRC in Kazakhstan, Han Chunlin, noted the positive dynamics of trade relations. The Ambassador suggested expanding cooperation in energy, agriculture, cross-border trade, and services. He invited Kazakhstani entrepreneurs to participate in the China International Import Expo, which will take place in July this year.
"This year, we will organize seven specialized zones: manufacturing, clean energy, smart vehicles, digital technologies, healthy lifestyle, medicine, and environmentally friendly agricultural products," said Han Chunlin.
Additionally, the sides discussed the creation of modern infrastructure for online trade, including the development of warehouse facilities.
To further strengthen bilateral cooperation, Kazakhstan will hold a series of trade and economic missions in 2025 and participate in major exhibitions in China.
Additionally, according to the General Administration of Customs of China, in 2024, the volume of bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and China reached $43.8 billion. Kazakhstan's exports to China amounted to $15.8 billion, an increase of 9 percent.
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