Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 5. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Bakayev and China's Ambassador to Kazakhstan Han Chunlin discussed key issues of bilateral cooperation, Trend reports, citing the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.

The officials also exchanged views on prospects for further development of relations between the two countries.

Special attention was paid to agreements reached following recent visits to Kazakhstan at the end of May and the beginning of June by senior Chinese officials, including Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Zhao Leji, Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Chen Wenqing, Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, and Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Lee.

The two sides also discussed the schedule of upcoming high-level and top-level visits planned for 2026.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to continue regular contacts between the foreign ministries of Kazakhstan and China on issues of mutual interest.

Earlier in June 2026, within the framework of John Lee’s visit to Kazakhstan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin held a meeting in Astana with business representatives from Hong Kong and mainland China. Following the meeting of the business delegation, four intergovernmental memorandums of understanding and 42 agreements and memorandums were signed between companies and organizations from Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, and mainland China.

The documents cover cooperation in aviation, finance, trade, innovation, technology, digital economy, and green development.

Over the past 20 years, Kazakhstan has attracted more than $445 billion in foreign direct investment, including around $30 billion from China. Investment from Hong Kong into Kazakhstan’s economy has reached nearly $740 million.

China remained Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner in the first quarter of 2026, with bilateral trade reaching $7.8 billion and accounting for 23.8% of the country’s total foreign trade turnover, according to the Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan.