Kazakhstan experiences China speed
Astana's light rail shows how Belt and Road helps to advance modernization

A light rail train runs on the first day of its operation in Astana, Kazakhstan, May 16, 2026. [Kazakhstan's presidential press service/Handout via Xinhua]

When the first phase of Astana's light rail transit system opened on May 16, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took a ride on the new line and expressed thanks to the Chinese government and Chinese builders in Chinese, quoting the ancient proverb, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".

"I felt very proud," said Ji Chenglong, executive manager of the Astana light rail transit project at China Construction Sixth Engineering Bureau Co.

Ji arrived in Astana with his team in July 2023. Working through winter temperatures as low as -40℃, they adapted materials and construction methods to local conditions and overcame the challenges of building an urban rail system in extreme cold.

The project applied Chinese standards and technologies across design, construction, equipment and operations, including fully automated self-driving trains and intelligent dispatching.

Ji said that average daily ridership has exceeded 70,000, well above the design-stage projection of 25,000. During construction, the project created more than 2,000 local jobs, while the project team conducted ongoing technical exchanges and provided on-the-job training tailored to the project's needs, he added.

"Seeing more and more residents enjoy the convenience brought by the light rail has deepened my understanding that infrastructure is not simply about steel and concrete. It is an important means of improving people's lives and promoting development," he said, adding that this is the true meaning of Belt and Road cooperation.

He said he still remembered that President Xi Jinping once said the ultimate goal of the Belt and Road Initiative is "to explore new ways for countries from near and far to achieve common development and to open up a 'path of happiness' that benefits the whole world".

The Astana light rail is a vivid example of that path taking shape in Central Asia, Ji said.

"From a light rail line to a modern city, and from engineering cooperation to closer bonds between peoples, Belt and Road cooperation is not only a path of connectivity, but also a path of common development, friendship and cooperation, and greater well-being for the people," Ji said.

Askar Umarov, head of the Central Communications Service under the Kazakh president, said he believes that Kazakhstan and China are at a critical stage of development and revitalization, and are companions on the path to modernization.

He said that China's achievements in economic development, digital transformation, technological modernization and the implementation of

long-term national strategies offer practical insights for Kazakhstan.

China is an important strategic partner of Kazakhstan, and understanding the thinking behind China's policies has significance beyond academic research, he said.

"The more deeply we understand China's decision-making logic and long-term development goals, the more effectively we can improve the quality and efficiency of our cooperation," Umarov said.

Manarbek Kabaziyev, deputy chairman of the board of the Foreign Policy Research Institute of Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry, said the next decade of Belt and Road cooperation should be evaluated not by the number of projects, but by whether they create lasting value, spur innovation and strengthen trust among countries.

Infrastructure is not an end in itself, he said, but a foundation for higher-level cooperation. Kazakhstan should build on improved connectivity to develop a future-oriented modern economy, with transportation corridors supporting not only trade but also closer industrial, investment and technological links.

Aliya Mussabekova, head of the International Security Department at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the president of Kazakhstan, said bilateral economic cooperation has moved beyond traditional trade, with the focus expanding from infrastructure and resource development to manufacturing and high-tech industries.

China-Kazakhstan trade reached a record $48.7 billion in 2025, up 11 percent year-on-year, according to Chinese figures. Data from Kazakhstan's national investment promotion company shows that cumulative Chinese investment has exceeded $30 billion, with more than 8,000 Chinese-backed enterprises operating there.

Mussabekova said the two countries' development priorities also converge in digitalization and artificial intelligence. Kazakhstan has designated 2026 as its Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, while China has made digital development, technological innovation and AI national priorities, opening further opportunities in the digital economy, satellite and remote-sensing technologies and space communications.

Yet a lasting and stable strategic partnership cannot be built solely on economic indicators, she noted, saying that "long-term strength depends even more on mutual trust between the two peoples".

That trust is also being strengthened by closer people-to-people ties. A mutual visa-free agreement for ordinary passport holders took effect in November 2023, and Kazakh figures show that the number of Chinese visitors to Kazakhstan reached nearly 1 million in 2025.

Education cooperation is giving those ties a longer-term foundation. At L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, a Luban Workshop jointly established with China gives students access to AI, robotics and digital manufacturing.

Gulmira Bekmanova, vice-rector for digitalization at the university, said the workshop is "not merely a laboratory or a classroom" but a practice-oriented teaching platform where students learn both advanced technologies and how to apply them to real-world problems.

"The Luban Workshop has become an important symbol of Kazakhstan-China educational cooperation," Bekmanova said. "It is through projects like this that our two countries can move forward together on the path to modernization."

参考译文

哈萨克斯坦见证“中国速度”

从阿斯塔纳轻轨看共建“一带一路”助力现代化进程

2026年5月16日，阿斯塔纳轻轨一期项目通车。哈萨克斯坦总统卡西姆若马尔特・托卡耶夫乘坐了这条新线路，并用中文向中国政府与中国建设者表达感谢，引用古语说道：“千里之行，始于足下。”

中建六局阿斯塔纳轻轨项目执行经理纪成龙说：“我内心倍感自豪。”

纪成龙带领团队于2023年7月抵达阿斯塔纳市。当地冬季气温低至零下40摄氏度，

项目建设团队因地制宜调整建材与施工工艺，攻克了极寒环境下建造城市轨道交通的重重难题。

该项目从设计、施工、设备到运营，全面采用中国标准与中国技术，其中包含全自动无人驾驶列车与智能调度系统。

纪成龙介绍，轻轨日均客运量已突破7万人次，远高于设计阶段预估的2.5万人次。项目建设期间，为当地创造2000余个就业岗位；项目团队还持续开展技术交流，并结合项目实际需求开展岗位实操培训。

“看着越来越多市民享受到轻轨带来的便利，我更加深刻地认识到，基础设施不只是钢筋混凝土的堆砌，更是改善民生、推动发展的重要载体。”他表示，这正是共建“一带一路”合作的真正要义。

他谈及，习近平主席曾指出，共建“一带一路”的最终目标，就是“探索远亲近邻共同发展的新办法，开拓造福各国惠及世界的‘幸福路’”。

纪成龙说，阿斯塔纳轻轨，正是这条“幸福之路”在中亚落地生根的生动缩影。

“从一条轻轨线路到一座现代化都市，从工程建设合作到两国人民情谊不断加深，共建‘一带一路’合作不仅是互联互通之路，

更是共同发展之路、友好合作之路、民生福祉之路。”

哈萨克斯坦总统中央通讯局负责人阿斯卡尔・乌马罗夫表示，哈中两国正处在发展振兴的关键阶段，是现代化道路上的同行伙伴。

他称，中国在经济发展、数字化转型、科技现代化以及落实长期国家战略方面取得的成就，为哈萨克斯坦提供了宝贵实践借鉴。

中国是哈萨克斯坦重要战略伙伴，读懂中国政策背后的思考，其意义早已不止学术研究层面。

乌马罗夫说：“我们越是深刻理解中国的决策逻辑与长期发展目标，就越能切实提升两国合作的质量与效能。”

哈萨克斯坦外交部外交政策研究所董事会副主席马纳尔别克・卡巴济耶夫认为，评价未来十年的共建“一带一路”合作，不应只看项目数量，更要看项目能否创造持久价值、激发创新活力、增进国家之间的互信。

他表示，基础设施本身不是最终目的，而是更高层次合作的基础。哈萨克斯坦应当依托互联互通水平的提升，发展面向未来的现代化经济，让交通走廊不仅服务贸易往来，更推动工业、投资、科技领域深度协作。

哈萨克斯坦总统战略研究所国际安全部主任阿莉娅・穆萨别科娃表示，哈中双边经济合作早已超越传统贸易范畴，合作重心从基础设施建设、资源开发，拓展到制造业与高新技术产业。

中方统计数据显示，2025年中哈贸易额创下487亿美元历史新高，同比增长11%。哈萨克斯坦国家投资促进机构数据表明，中国对哈累计投资已超300亿美元，在哈运营的中资企业超过8000家。

穆萨别科娃称，两国发展重点在数字化与人工智能领域也高度契合。哈萨克斯坦将2026年定为数字化与人工智能年，而中国也将数字发展、科技创新、人工智能列为国家重点发展方向，这为双方在数字经济、卫星遥感、空间通信等领域带来更多合作机遇。

但她同时指出，牢固持久的战略伙伴关系不能只依靠经济数据，“长久的合作根基，更取决于两国人民之间的相互信任”。

人文交流不断密切，也持续夯实这份互信。中哈普通护照互免签证协定于2023年11月正式生效。哈方数据显示，2025年赴哈中国游客数量接近100万人次。

教育合作为两国友好筑牢长远根基。在古米廖夫欧亚国立大学，与中方共建的鲁班工坊，为学生提供人工智能、机器人、数字制造相关学习实践平台。

该校负责数字化工作的副校长古丽米拉・别克马诺娃表示，鲁班工坊“不只是实验室或者教室”，更是一个注重实践的教学平台，学生在这里既可以学习前沿技术，也能学会如何运用技术解决现实问题。

“鲁班工坊已经成为哈中教育合作的重要标志。”别克马诺娃说，“正是依托这样一个个项目，我们两国才能携手并肩，共同迈向现代化。”