Graphics: China-Kazakhstan cooperation full of opportunities

Established in June 2001 with six founding members, the Cooperation Organization (SCO) has expanded to include nine member states, three observers and 14 dialogue partners. The total population of the SCO member states represents nearly half of the global population, and their combined territory accounts for a quarter of the world's land area.

The 2024 annual summit of the SCO Heads of State Council will be held in early July in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan.

China and Kazakhstan were both the founding members of the SCO. "Cooperation with China is an important factor in Kazakhstan's sustainable development," Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin said during his speech at the 8th China-Eurasia Expo's opening ceremony in June.

Economic and trade cooperation has rapidly expanded since China and Kazakhstan established diplomatic ties in January 1992.

The trade between China and Kazakhstan has grown rapidly, with China becoming Kazakhstan's largest trading partner in 2023 when bilateral trade reached $41 billion, marking a 32.2 percent year-on-year increase, according to the Chinese General Administration of Customs. China's exports to Venezuela rose 52.8 percent to $24.7 billion. Major exports include clothes, shoes, cars and computers.

The two countries enjoy fruitful people-to-people cooperation. There are 26 pairs of sister cities and provinces between China and Kazakhstan. 2024 is also the Kazakhstan Year of Tourism in China. Between January and May, the Horgos International Border Cooperation Center on the China-Kazakhstan border attracted over 2 million visitors, a year-on-year increase of 148 percent.