ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attended the ceremony of launching the construction of Kazakhstan’s logistics center at Xian’s dry port during his state visit to China, reported Akorda press service on May 18.
President Tokayev in Xian, China on May 18. Photo credit: akorda.kz.
According to Tokayev, Kazakhstan has invested $35 billion in logistics over the last 15 years, including projects such as the Kazakh-Chinese logistics center in Lianyungang port, the opening of new railway routes, the launch of the Khorgos-Eastern Gate dry port, and the modernization of Caspian Sea infrastructure.
“All these measures are part of the ongoing work,” he said.
Last year, 23 million tons of freight were transported by rail between the two countries, according to Tokayev. Goods transportation surged by 35% in the first quarter of this year, surpassing 7 million tons.
Photo credit: akorda.kz.
“Our partnership does not stop here. We need additional infrastructure for further transportation development. Therefore, we decided to build this logistics center with our Chinese colleagues. This hub connects the Shaanxi region with Kazakhstan and Central Asia. It will then open the route to Europe, Türkiye and Iran,” said Tokayev.
On the same day, Tokayev opened the National Pavilion of Kazakhstan on JD.com electronic platform. Launched in 1998, JD.com is China’s largest online platform for selling goods and services, with over 400 million customers. Its net income in 2022 was one trillion yuan ($142.3 billion), placing it top among Chinese electronic platforms.
Kazakhstan and China’s trade turnover surpassed $31 billion last year. Tokayev said that the countries would not stop at these figures.
“We will continue to build partnerships in the sphere of e-commerce, which will allow us to boost mutual trade to $40 billion soon. The Digital Silk Road Initiative intends to make this possible,” he concluded.
