Access to reliable data gives businesses a competitive advantage when they develop AI tools, build digital services or enter new markets. Kazakhstan and China are working to make that resource easier to use securely across borders.
China and Kazakhstan deepened their cooperation in the data economy at the Global Data Ecosystem Conference 2026 (GDEC 2026) in Shanghai on Oct. 30–31. Kazakhstan participated as the Special Invited International Partner, a sign of the growing importance of data cooperation in relations between the two countries. At the opening session, Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics outlined the country’s approach to building a data market. The Bureau is part of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms, which oversees the development of the data economy.
Representatives from Kazakhstan and China take part in the launch of a joint digital economy initiative at the Global Data Ecosystem Conference in Shanghai on Oct. 30, 2026. Photo credit: Courtesy of the Global Data Ecosystem Conference Organizing Committee.
On Oct. 31, Astana Data Exchange (ADX) and Shanghai Data Exchange (SDE) began to work on their first joint listing of data products so that data providers could offer them on both platforms. Industry associations, state-owned enterprises and private firms in finance and IT also joined a broader initiative on data markets, research on the digital economy and smart city projects.
The cooperation fits a broader agenda discussed by Presidents Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Xi Jinping in Shanghai in July, when digital technologies and AI were identified as areas for closer ties. At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, Tokayev proposed the Kazakhstan–China Digital Bridge Initiative to expand digital trade and connect the two countries’ digital economies. For Kazakhstan, the proposal builds on its record as a digital state. The country is now turning to the economic use of the data its industries and public institutions generate.
If Kazakhstan and China connect their national data exchanges under rules both sides trust, other countries could use the same approach to share data securely and transparently.
From digital government to a data economy
This cooperation follows years of digitization in Kazakhstan, particularly in public services and banking. More than 90% of public services are available online, and the country ranked 24th among 193 countries in the 2024 UN E-Government Development Index. In 2025, 98.3% of personal payments and transfers were cashless.
The Digital Qazaqstan strategy builds on that experience and sets out how the country plans to develop its data economy through 2029. It calls for wider use of AI across industries and for government agencies to use data when making decisions. The Law on Artificial Intelligence establishes rules for developing and using AI systems.
Under Kazakhstan’s Digital Code, in force since July 2026, organizations can exchange data products through registered platforms. Providers set the terms of use, and the products must exclude personal data that could identify individuals.
As part of a broader effort to treat data as an economic asset, Kazakhstan has adopted a method for valuing data products held by public agencies and state-owned enterprises.
China took an early lead in building a market for such assets when it recognized data as a factor of production in 2019. It has since set rules for using data, built a network of exchanges and introduced a national system for registering data rights. Its National Data Administration supports the development of industry datasets for training AI models.
A digital bridge between these markets would give Kazakhstan and China a stronger basis for joint work on AI. With agreed rules for secure access, researchers and businesses could draw on data from both countries to train models and build digital services for a wider market.
A digital bridge in practice
One example of this digital bridge is the partnership between Astana Data Exchange and Shanghai Data Exchange. Their 2025 strategic cooperation agreement laid the groundwork for the joint listing. ADX, one of the platforms on Kazakhstan’s national register under the Digital Code, helps organizations list, find and exchange data products.
SDE is a leading hub for cross-border data exchange, connecting international providers with buyers in China and helping Chinese firms bring their data products to markets abroad. In 2026, it became one of three institutions designated to register data rights under China’s national system.
Eleven international providers, including KoDATA, are preparing to list products on ADX. Their products cover business information, finance, shipping and logistics, research and AI. The partnership could also help Kazakhstani providers offer data products and services in China, including market analysis based on aggregated, anonymized records. A data service could show a Chinese exporter where household appliances sell best in Kazakhstan without sharing individual sales receipts.
China’s experience with data assets suggests a next step for the partnership. The exchanges could agree on how to value data products and register rights in them. Banks could then assess whether those rights can serve as collateral. In shared data spaces, partners could agree on who may use sensitive records. Confidential computing could let them analyze those records together while keeping the underlying data private.
What this means for trade and investment
Secure data exchange could help Kazakhstan and China expand trade and investment. Bilateral trade reached $48.7 billion in 2025, according to Chinese customs figures. As their data markets develop, sharing verified records could help the two countries reach their $100 billion target by speeding up border checks and customs clearance.
An importer could verify a supplier’s registration, a shipment’s origin or a product certificate. A Chinese exporter could check a Kazakhstani distributor’s trading history before offering credit. A retailer choosing a site for a store in Almaty could use aggregated mobility data to compare foot traffic across neighborhoods.
A global network of data exchanges could widen access while leaving providers in control of who may use their data and for what purpose. If those terms are clear and enforceable across borders, more countries could use shared data to build their own AI tools and digital services and expand trade and investment.
Lu Yong is the Executive Director of Shanghai Data Service Provider Association and the Chief Expert of Shanghai Data Exchange. Sarsen Zhanabekov is CEO of Astana Data Exchange.
