THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE AND KAZAKHSTAN-CHINA RELATIONS: A DECADE OF BILATERAL TRANSFORMATION

This article examines how the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), announced in Astana in 2013, has changed the structure of Kazakhstan-China bilateral relations over the past decade. Drawing on trade statistics, infrastructure data, and policy documents, the analysis covers economic cooperation, transport and logistics development, geopolitical positioning, and people-to-people contacts. Bilateral trade grew from $368 million in 1992 to $41 billion in 2023; joint infrastructure projects exceeded $21 billion in value; and more than 15,000 km of transport corridors were upgraded. The article argues that Kazakhstan has managed to align BRI participation with its own development priorities while preserving a multi-vector foreign policy, and that the partnership has produced measurable gains for both sides.