Kazakhstan and China have signed more than 70 commercial agreements and memoranda worth over $15bn spanning artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, transport, manufacturing, energy and critical minerals.

Deals were inked as Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid a working visit to Shanghai on July 16, according to the presidential website. As the major powers compete for trade and investment in Central Asia, the regularity with which Beijing makes commitments is notable compared to the much less frequent agreements announced by rivals including Russia, the US and European Union.

Documents on the Tokayev visit were exchanged following a roundtable with Chinese business leaders. The Kazakh authorities, however, did not publish a project-by-project valuation, and the package includes both binding agreements and non-binding memoranda. The announced figure reflects the combined value of the signed documents rather than investments already made.

One key agreement will establish a strategic partnership between Kazakhstan's Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development and Huawei Technologies. Separately, Kazakhstan’s Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund signed an agreement to acquire Huawei technology and equipment.

Samruk-Kazyna, Freedom Holding (Nasdaq: FRHC), the Astana city administration and Geely Auto Group (HK:0175) signed a memorandum on developing electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and integrating AI into Kazakhstan's automotive sector. Kazakhtelecom (KZTK: KASE) and China's HV & Submarine Hengtong Group (SSE: 600487), meanwhile, agreed on the basic principles for the 1-GW Data Center Valley project in Ekibastuz, northeastern Kazakhstan. The investment is to establish data centres, cloud services, supercomputing facilities, AI laboratories and technology startups.

The industrial package includes an agreement between privately-held Allur Group and Li Auto (HKG: 2015) to produce Li Auto vehicles in Kazakhstan, while Astana Group and Chery Holding (HKEX: 9973) now have a technology licensing agreement covering OMODA and JAECOO vehicle production.

Other agreements include one under which Qarmet, the Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK) and a Chinese engineering company will cooperate on new coke oven batteries and a gas purification system.

Tokayev met Zhang Binnan, president of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC, ticker: SHA: 601800), during the visit. The president welcomed the signing of an agreement to jointly develop Kazakhstan's first pumped-storage hydropower project. The planned 600-megawatt facility will be built in Kargaly River valley in southeastern Almaty region with the participation of China International Water & Electric Corporation, a subsidiary of CCCC.

In corridor transport and logistics, Kazakhstan signed an investment agreement covering the first phase of a multifunctional terminal at the Port of Kuryk on the Caspian Sea. During a meeting with Yu Boyan, chairman of Guoyou Materials Industry Group, Tokayev welcomed the company's plans to develop the multimodal port hub at Kuryk, located in the southwestern Mangystau Region. The project aims to increase cargo handling capacity to 15mn tonnes during its first year of operation.

Tokayev also met with Pan Jian, co-chairman of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL, ticker: SHE: 300750). CATL has expressed its readiness to build a battery manufacturing plant in Kazakhstan.

If implemented, the battery facility would become Central Asia's first such plant of its scale. CATL said it sees Kazakhstan as an important long-term partner and that the project could support the country's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

Tokayev on his trip also invited Chinese companies to invest in critical minerals, agricultural technologies and the development of Alatau City, which Kazakhstan aims to establish as a smart metropolis that is a regional centre for digital finance, AI and advanced telecommunications.

Tokayev said China-Kazakhstan trade reached a record $49bn in 2025. He added that cumulative Chinese investment in Kazakhstan has exceeded $30bn and that more than 8,500 companies with Chinese participation now operate in the country.

The president was due to participate in the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, which runs through July 20 under the theme "AI Partnership for a Brighter Future".