ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev invited Chinese technology companies to expand their presence in Kazakhstan during a roundtable with Chinese business leaders in Shanghai on July 16, presenting the country as an emerging hub for artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, smart logistics and high-tech manufacturing.
President Tokayev arrived in Shanghai at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping on July 16. Photo credit: Akorda. Speaking ahead of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), Tokayev said Kazakhstan aims to build long-term partnerships that go beyond capital investment to include technology transfer, research and innovation, reported Akorda.
AI infrastructure at the center of investment strategy Positioning AI as a key engine of Kazakhstan’s future economic growth, Tokayev outlined several flagship projects designed to attract global technology companies. Among them is Data Center Valley in Ekibastuz, which he described as a strategic initiative aimed at becoming the backbone of Kazakhstan’s and Central Asia’s digital infrastructure.
The project will provide ready-to-use sites for hyperscale data centers, cloud computing and AI infrastructure under a special investment regime supported by stable electricity supplies. Tokayev said the vision extends beyond building data centers, bringing together supercomputing capacity, AI laboratories, research institutions, educational programs, startups and export-oriented digital services into a single innovation ecosystem.
President Tokayev also highlighted the development of Alatau, a new city being built under a Digital by Default concept. Planned as a smart city, Alatau will feature intelligent transport systems, digital payments, energy-efficient infrastructure and a regulatory framework supporting blockchain, tokenization and digital assets.
Investors will also be able to operate within the legal ecosystem of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). “I am confident that Alatau will become a new center of talent, technology, and investment in Eurasia in the future,” Tokayev said. Expanding trade and industrial cooperation Tokayev said the strong political relationship between Kazakhstan and China has laid the foundation for expanding economic cooperation, noting that bilateral trade reached a record $49 billion last year while cumulative Chinese investment in Kazakhstan has exceeded $30 billion.
According to Tokayev, more than 8,500 companies with Chinese participation now operate in Kazakhstan, including major firms such as CNPC, CITIC and Huawei.