Last year saw a number of significant developments in China-Kazakhstan relations, including two official visits to China by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, multi-billion dollar contracts, the promotion of transport and infrastructure initiatives, and an unprecedented 30 per cent growth in bilateral trade. Kazakhstan accounts for half of China’s trade and investment in the region, with trade turnover between Kazakhstan and China reaching an impressive $31 billion. By 2023, the volume of cargo between the two countries will have increased by 22 per cent to nearly 30 million tonnes, and the share of cargo passing through Kazakhstan as part of the China-Europe route will have reached 80 per cent. China is implementing projects in Kazakhstan with a total value of $14 billion.

The trend towards the development of bilateral relations continued in 2004, as the events of the first three months of the year clearly show.

At the beginning of the year, a Kazakh transport terminal was opened in Xi’an to sort cargo and form railway trains for bilateral transport and transit along the China-Europe route through Kazakhstan. A joint industrial park was launched in the border city of Khorgos, and the two sides agreed to open a Kazakh trade mission in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

On 26th March the President of Kazakhstan met with Erkin Tuniyaz, Chairman of the Xinjiang People’s Government. This region, which shares a long border with Kazakhstan, where the main........

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