ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest features coverage of the China–Central Asia summit, Kazakhstan’s nuclear power plant, AI development and more.
Photo credit: The Astana Times
China’s Xi Jinping meets Central Asian leaders: Why their summit matters
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Kazakhstan on Monday to attend the second China–Central Asia summit, a high-stakes diplomatic gathering aimed at deepening Beijing’s economic and strategic ties with the region, Al Jazeera reported on June 16.
Zhao Long, a senior research fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), told Al Jazeera that Central Asian countries see their partnership with China as a deep, multifaceted cooperation grounded in shared strategic and pragmatic interests.
“The alignment with China helps Central Asian states enhance their regional stability, pursue economic modernization, and diversify their diplomatic portfolios,” said Zhao. Where Central Asia has abundant energy resources, he said, China offers vast markets, advanced technology, and infrastructure expertise.
Last Friday, Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told a news briefing that establishing “the China-Central Asia mechanism was a unanimous decision among China and the five Central Asian countries, which dovetails with the region’s common desire to maintain stability and pursue high-quality development.”
Kazakhstan leads Central Asia’s $95 billion trade with China, says President Tokayev
Last year, China accounted for around 40% of the entire foreign trade turnover of the Central Asian region, reaching a record $95 billion, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the Central Asia-China Summit, Trend reported on June 17.
Tokayev emphasized that the synergy of existing opportunities provides a solid foundation for further dynamic and mutually beneficial cooperation with China.
“The combined GDP of Central Asian states is steadily approaching the half-trillion-dollar mark. Over the past five years, intra-regional trade has significantly increased, surpassing $10 billion,” the President noted.
Highlighting Kazakhstan’s role, Tokayev said that 46% of the trade turnover with China is attributable to Kazakhstan, with bilateral trade between the two countries reaching $44 billion. He also noted the significant contribution of Chinese investments in Kazakhstan’s economic growth, with total investments exceeding $26 billion.
How Kazakhstan can build a non-resource-based growth model
The Diplomat published an expert article on June 18, stating that the Kazakh government has pledged to accelerate the shift toward a more diversified, non-resource-based economy, anchored in clean energy, logistics, agriculture, and industrial upgrading.
Focusing on three priority sectors – transport, logistics and trade infrastructure, clean energy, and agriculture – the article outlines why these areas are key to Kazakhstan’s future development. It analyzes recent initiatives to modernize infrastructure along the Middle Corridor, scale up renewable energy production, and improve agricultural productivity and agri-tech adoption.
The article mentions the recently held Astana International Forum (AIF), quoting speakers from the event. “At the AIF, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted Kazakhstan’s transformation into a key Eurasian connector,” the article states.
Kazakhstan’s new AI law charts ambitious course inspired by EU
With its draft law on artificial intelligence approved in May in a first reading by the Mazhilis, Kazakhstan’s lower parliamentary chamber, the country is signalling its intent to regulate AI with a human-centric approach, Euractiv reported on June 13.
“The bill reflects major global trends in AI regulation,” said Shoplan Saimova, head of the Centre for Public Legislation and Public Administration at the Institute of Parliamentarism.
“The EU’s AI Act serves as a model,” she added.
Saimova maintains that Kazakhstan is not seeking to play catch-up but to take the lead, crafting a framework tailored to national values and needs, fostering trust between humans and algorithms while safeguarding the public interest.
The law was developed through broad consultations with lawmakers, tech experts and industry representatives, reflecting broad cross-sector support. It aims to regulate AI use across multiple areas of society.
Roman Vassilenko at AIF 2025: Kazakhstan’s foreign policy is rooted in dialogue and constructive diplomacy
During a press briefing at the 2025 Astana International Forum (AIF), Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko reaffirmed the country’s pivotal role as a regional power and a global advocate for dialogue, cooperation, and democratic reform, according to an EU Reporter article published on June 14.
Now a rapidly growing global platform, the Astana International Forum hosted approximately 3,000 participants this year, including heads of state, government officials, representatives of international organizations, CEOs and leading experts.
“The forum’s expanded agenda reflects today’s interconnected global challenges — from energy security and climate crisis to technological innovation, sustainable development and geopolitical cooperation,” said Vassilenko.
“It offers a valuable opportunity to seek collective solutions to issues that transcend borders.”
The forum, which opened on May 29 with remarks from President Tokayev, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova of North Macedonia, and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset, highlights Kazakhstan’s growing influence in global diplomacy.
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan eye deeper economic cooperation
An analytical report on the prospects for strengthening economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan has been jointly prepared by the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and ADA University’s Institute for Development and Diplomacy (IDD), Azernews reported on June 18.
The report highlights the strategic partnership potential between the two countries, both of which serve as key transit and trade hubs along the Silk Road.
Dodo Pizza owner finalizes legal move to Kazakhstan
The owner of Russia’s largest pizza restaurant franchise, Dodo Pizza, and the rapidly growing coffeeshop chain Drinkit, has moved its headquarters to Kazakhstan, the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) announced Monday, as reported by The Moscow Times on June 16.
According to the AIFC, a special economic zone that provides favorable conditions for multinational businesses, Dodo Brands finalized its redomiciliation from the British Virgin Islands to Kazakhstan’s jurisdiction last Thursday.
Industry experts speaking to the Kommersant business newspaper said Kazakhstan offers a more favorable legal and financial environment for Russian businesses compared to the British Virgin Islands.
Kazakhstan enlists Russia and China to build first nuclear power plants since Soviet era
Kazakhstan has chosen Russia’s state nuclear firm Rosatom and China’s National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) to lead separate consortiums tasked with building its first nuclear power plants, Euronews reported on June 16.
This marks the country’s return to nuclear energy, as Kazakhstan has had no nuclear power facilities of its own since 1999 when its Soviet-era reactor was shut down.
In a national referendum last October, nearly 70% of Kazakh voters approved constructing nuclear power facilities, a move strongly backed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Kazakhstan, one of the world’s top uranium producers, currently relies mostly on coal-fired plants for power, alongside hydropower and a growing renewables sector.
