On May 23rd, 2019, during the 16th Eurasia Media Forum, Baige ZHAO, Chair of Advisory Committee of RDI, had a talk with Dariga NAZARBAYEVA, Chairperson of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of the Forum, and consensus was reached by both sides to hold the China-Kazakhstan Jointly Building B&R International High-level Seminar in December 2019.
Opening Ceremony of China-Kazakhstan Jointly Building B&R International High-level Seminar in Beijing
After nearly half a year of delicate preparation and arrangement, the Opening Ceremony of China-Kazakhstan Jointly Building B&R International High-level Seminar and China-Kazakhstan High-level Round Table were held in Beijing on December 5th, 2019, co-sponsored by the BRI International Think Tank of CASS, the Institute of Russian, Eastern European & Central Asian Studies of CASS, the Bureau of International Cooperation of CASS and the Research Center of Silk Road Studies of CASS, and organized by RDI. Baige ZHAO, Chair of Advisory Committee of RDI presided over the Opening Ceremony. Xiang GAO, Vice President of and Member of the Party Committee of CASS, President of and Secretary of the Party Committee of the Chinese Academy of History, and Askar URTEMBAEV, Deputy Head of the Administration of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, delivered speeches on behalf of China and Kazakhstan respectively.
More than 60 representatives, including Xin JIN, Director-General of the China Center for Contemporary World Studies of the International Department of the CCCPC, and Secretary-General of Silk Road Think Tank Association, Yongquan LI, Chairman of Chinese Association of Russian, Eastern Eruopean & Central Asian Studies, Xuesong LIU, Deputy Director of the Department of European-Central Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce of the P.R.C., Jiangping LIU, Counsellor of the Department of European-Central Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the P.R.C., Yunfan ZHOU, Deputy Director of Bureau of International Cooperation of CASS, and representatives of RDI platform outstanding enterprises, as well as Nurzhan ALTAYEV, Member of the Committee on Agrarian Issues of Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kairat ORUNKHANOV, Director of the Human Resources and Strategy Department of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Rakhymzhan RAKHIMOV, Deputy Director of the Department of the Asia-Pacific Region of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan attended the Opening Ceremony.
Baige ZHAO presides over the Opening Ceremony of the China-Kazakhstan Jointly Building B&R International High-level Seminar
Xiang GAO, Vice President of and Member of the Party Committee of CASS, President of and Secretary of the Party Committee of the Chinese Academy of History, delivers a speech at the Opening Ceremony
At the Opening Ceremony, representatives of China and Kazakhstan first delivered speeches. Xiang GAO, the Chinese representative, said that against the current background of increasing protectionism and anti-globalization, China has promoted the development of economic globalization towards a more open, inclusive, equitable, balanced and beneficial to all direction through the BRI based on its "Extensive Consultation, Joint Contribution and Shared Benefits" principle. China has demonstrated to the world its determination to work with other countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind and create a new situation of win-win cooperation. The world is undergoing profound changes, and the 4th Industrial Revolution subverts traditional thinking, which will greatly change the way of manufacturing and human life. The 4th Industrial Revolution reflects the widening gap between developing and developed countries, and the opportunity for developing countries to catch up. Xiang GAO sincerely wished the Seminar a great success and hoped that Kazakhstan delegates would take this opportunity to deepen their all-round understanding of the national conditions and policies of the two countries and contribute to the friendly cooperation and mutual communication between the two countries and peoples in the future.
Askar URTEMBAEV, Deputy Head of the Administration of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, delivers a speech at the Opening Ceremony
Askar URTEMBAEV, Head of the Kazakhstan delegation, said Kazakhstan has growing interests in Eurasian Integration, and China's BRI has brought positive impacts to Eurasian Integration and given priority to partnership development. Kazakhstan will actively participate in the B&R construction for the benefits of the two countries. He hoped that the Seminar will enable Kazakhstan to understand China's development in various fields and learn from China's advanced experience, further exchange relevant opinions between the two sides and put what is learned at the Seminar into practice.
Participants of China-Kazakhstan Jointly Building B&R International High-level Seminar
After the Opening Ceremony, China and Kazakhstan launched a Round-Table Dialogue themed "The B&R and New Globalization" and "The B&R and The 4th Industrial Revolution" with Baige ZHAO as the moderator. In the first round, Xin JIN, Yongquan LI, Xuesong LIU and Jiangping LIU respectively shared important views from the perspective of think tanks, academia, commerce, diplomacy and so on.
Xin JIN, Director-General of the China Center for Contemporary World Studies of the International Department of the CCCPC, and Secretary-General of Silk Road Think Tank Association,
gives a keynote speech at the Opening Ceremony
Xin JIN put forward three suggestions: 1) at the macro level, Chinese and Kazakhstan political parties can establish extensive consultation mechanism, including cooperation mechanism between bilateral business associations and between twin cities, and an industrial cooperation platform can also be built between the two sides; 2) we should work together to facilitate people-to-people bonds; 3) the two sides should give full play to the role of think tanks and jointly find what is fit for their cooperation.
Yongquan LI, Chairman of Chinese Association of Russian, Eastern European & Central Asian Studies of CASS, delivers a keynote speech at the Opening Ceremony
In terms of the challenges in China-Kazakhstan cooperation, Yongquan LI pointed out that no matter how the world situation changes, the process of globalization, regionalization and nationalization will remain unchanged, and China-Kazakhstan cooperation affected by the whole regional process is key to the stability of Eurasia Regions. Eurasian Integration must be considered in the multilateral cooperation projects in the future. Only enough consideration of relevant factors can lead the success to the China-Kazakhstan cooperation.
Xuesong LIU, Deputy Director of the Department of European-Central Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce of the P.R.C., delivers a keynote speech at the Opening Ceremony
Xuesong LIU said that China and Kazakhstan have made certain achievements in economic and trade cooperation in recent years. Kazakhstan is China's largest investment destination in Eurasian region and China is the second largest trading partner of Kazakhstan. Both countries are confident to increase the bilateral trade volume to USD 40 billion in the next few years. In recent years, the two countries have opened up some new growth areas such as agricultural trade, e-commerce, increased investment and strengthened economic and technological cooperation, accelerating connectivity and bilateral development, actively and vigorously promoting local and financial cooperation. China is willing to work with Kazakhstan to promote the healthy development of the international multilateral trading system, safeguard multilateralism and free trade and oppose trade bullying; and China is willing, together with Kazakhstan, to play an important role in the SCO and Eurasian Economic Union, and continuously promote the economic and trade cooperation between China and the Eurasian Economic Union through Kazakhstan.
Jiangping LIU, Counsellor of the Department of European-Central Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the P.R.C., delivers a keynote speech at the Opening Ceremony
Jiangping LIU said in her speech that leapfrog development has been achieved in the breadth and depth, value and strategic content of China-Kazakhstan cooperation. Besides, perfect communication mechanisms have been established between the two sides, including regular PM meetings, vice-prime minister-level cooperation committee, etc. In view of the current complicated economic and political situation in the world, we must unswervingly safeguard China-Kazakhstan friendship. Now there occurs a countercurrent to discredit, split up, and slander China-Kazakhstan relations. However, we must see through the political purpose hidden behind, actively strengthen positive promotion, and properly guide public opinion.
During the discussion, Kazakhstan representatives actively expressed their opinions. Nurzhan ALTAYEV believed that China-Kazakhstan cooperation should not only be carried out at the national and government levels, but also at the public and social levels with non-governmental organizations and enterprises involved. A direct business cooperation platform should be established to carry out B&R cooperation, for example, the entrepreneur association can help provide services such as exploring business opportunities, providing consultation and facilitating negotiations for enterprises which invest and operate in Kazakhstan.
Shakharbanu ZHAKUPOVA, Vice Chairman of the Board of the Institute for Economic Research of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said in her speech that infrastructure projects are in great demand and will have a good multiplier effect by driving the development of related infrastructure industries, including transportation and logistics facilities, so it is necessary to increase investment in contemporary cities such as smart cities, and the projects relative to Central Asia countries and SCO. In the service field, additional value chains and industrial chains should be established. Therefore, we hope that China can help Kazakhstan realize diversified development of its national economy.
In the Round-Table Dialogue themed "The B&R and The 4th Industrial Revolution", RDI invited Hongguo ZHANG, Director of the Institute of Software and Information Services, CCID Think Tank, Jianming HUANG, Director of the Enterprise Development Bureau of Suzhou Industrial Park, Guoxin HAO, Executive Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone, and representatives of RDI platform enterprises such as Hanergy Mobile Energy Holding Group Co., Ltd., JinkoSolar Co., Ltd., Wuhan Landing Medical High-Tech Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Dorabot Inc., Beijing Infervision Technology Co. Ltd. and CHINABRICK.COM to share with Kazakhstan China's development experience in such fields as planning, energy, AI, new materials and agriculture to further tap China-Kazakhstan cooperation potential in these fields. After the Chinese representatives shared their experience, the Kazakhstan representatives actively exchanged views with Chinese representatives of the industrial parks and enterprises.
Rafik TAIROV, Vice President of the Center for Military Strategic Studies of the Republic of Kazakhstan, hoped that China would provide Kazakhstan students with learning opportunities in Chinese high-tech enterprises to deeply promote the bilateral relations. Moreover, he pointed out that there is no doubt that AI plays an important part in military affairs, medicine, communications and education, but the accompanying security and employment problems should also be taken into consideration. He looked forward to discussing with Chinese experts to make corresponding prospective plans.
Duren DYUSSEBAYEV, Director of Belt and Road Research Center Under Kazakhstan National University Named after Al-Farabi, put forward that Kazakhstan would soon build its Silicon Valley in Al-Farabi University. Kazakhstan would set up an international IT park - B&R Cluster Park by using the supercomputer provided by the Chinese Government. He suggested that Chinese high-tech enterprises on the Opening Ceremony to settle down in the Park and implement relative projects.
Baige ZHAO said in her concluding speech that 1) embracing the 4th Industrial Revolution ideologically, especially embrace young talents, to promote the integration of new technology and industry; 2) strengthening cooperation in mechanism needs to promote communications and exchanges between the two countries in national planning strategies and park construction; 3) giving full play to the role of non-governmental organizations such as think tanks, chambers of commerce, and alliances to serve as bridge of cooperation; 4) attaching special importance to the coordination and implementation of projects concerning people's livelihood, guide positive public opinion, resolve concerns, eliminate misunderstandings, and strengthen friendly cooperation with mutual benefits.
Qifan HUANG, Co-Chair of Advisory Committee of RDI, giving a special lecture to Kazakhstan Representatives
The China-Kazakhstan Jointly Building B&R International High-level Seminar
During the five-day study and cultural research in Beijing, the Kazakhstan representatives were taught by a team of well-known lecturers, including Qifan HUANG, Co-Chair of Advisory Committee of RDI, Zukang SHA, President of the China-Pakistan Friendship Association and Former Deputy-Secretary of the UN, Baoxing QIU, Counselor of the State Council and Former Vice Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the P.R.C., Yuyan ZHANG, Director and Researcher of the Institute of World Politics and Economics of CASS, Biliang HU, Dean of the Emerging Markets Institute and Executive Dean of the Belt and Road School of Beijing Normal University of Beijing Normal University, Changhong PEI, Researcher of the Institute of Economics of CASS, Hongbing LV, Vice Chairman of the All China Lawyers Association and Chief Executive Partner of Grandall Law Firm, and Jianzhong YANG, Chairman of the Development Zone Working Committee of the China Council for International Investment Promotion. They held discussions and exchanges with Kazakh representatives on "New Globalization", "The B&R Construction", "China's Exploration and Practice in Reform and Opening-up" and "Chinese Economy and Laws". After the Seminar, Kazakhstan representatives were deeply impressed by the high-level lectures, rich knowledge, and experience of all the lecturers, and looked forward to further carrying out extensive and all-round exchanges between the two sides in the future.
The Kazakhstan delegation visit the main venue of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Qingdao Summit
On December 11th, all participants of China-Kazakhstan Jointly Building B&R International High-level Seminar went to Qingdao for a three-day field study accompanied by officials of Bureau of Commerce of Qingdao and Administrative Committee of China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation (hereinafter referred as "SCO Demonstration Zone"). Baige ZHAO, Chair of Advisory Committee of RDI, Yu CHAI, Deputy Director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European & Central Asian Studies of CASS, Xiaoquan WANG, Deputy Director of the Research Center of Belt and Road Studies of CASS, and Kazakhstan representatives visited the main venue of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Qingdao Summit, Haier Industrial Park, Hisense Industrial Park, JD "Asia No.1" Logistics Center (Jiaozhou), and China International Marine Containers Group and Planning Exhibition Hall of SCO Demonstration Zone successively and held informal discussions and exchanges.
Participants of China-Kazakhstan Jointly Building B&R International High-level Seminar in the SCO Demonstration Zone
During the investigation in the SCO Demonstration Zone in Jiaozhou, Qingdao, participants of the Seminar learned that as a center of multilateral cooperation, Qingdao enjoyed intensive advantages in such major areas as logistics, parks, trade, business travel, and finance. After listening to the cross-border e-commerce policies and general trade policies and regulations reported by Jiaozhou Customs, Askar URTEMBAEV , Deputy Head of the Administration of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Head of Kazakhstan delegation for China-Kazakhstan Jointly Building B&R International High-level Seminar, said that they were eager to cooperate with the SCO Demonstration Zone. Kazakhstan needed to integrate into the development of SCO Demonstration Zone faster and speed up cooperation with China and Qingdao, especially in the SCO Demonstration Zone, under the SCO framework. They hoped that a China-Kazakhstan business cooperation platform could be set up in the SCO Demonstration Zone to provide opportunities, consultation and document preparation assistance for investment and business personnel from both sides. He also expressed willingness to jointly explore more favorable terms and possibilities for intermediary and transit trade with China.
Qingxian WANG, Member of the Standing Committee of Shandong Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of Qingdao Municipal Party Committee, with the participants of China-Kazakhstan Jointly Building B&R International High-level Seminar
On the afternoon of December 13th, the Commencement of China-Kazakhstan Jointly Building B&R International High-level Seminar was held in Qingdao. Sixteen participants from Kazakhstan Parliament, Embassy to China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, Foundation of the First President and Top Think Tank of the Republic of Kazakhstan successfully completed their 10-day Seminar in China. Baige ZHAO, Chair of Advisory Committee of RDI, Yu CHAI, Deputy Director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European & Central Asian Studies of CASS, and Xiaoquan WANG, Deputy Director of the Research Center of Belt and Road Studies of CASS, and Secretary-General of Chinese Association of Russian, Eastern European & Central Asian Studies of CASS, presented Certificates of Completion to the participants. Qingxian WANG, Member of the Standing Committee of Shandong Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of Qingdao Municipal Party Committee, attended the Commencement and made an important concluding speech. Hua ZHU, Member of the Standing Committee of Qingdao Municipal Committee and Secretary-General of Qingdao Municipal Committee, Shiyu ZHAO, Director of Bureau of Commerce of Qingdao, and the representatives of Qingdao outstanding enterprises also attended the Commencement.
At the Commencement, Baige ZHAO first delivered a keynote speech entitled "The B&R and New Globalization". She pointed out that human society has entered a development stage of new globalization. The concept of "Peace and Development" advocated by China's BRI has become the banner of new globalization and the main theme of the development in this era. China is committed to building a global community with shared interests, with shared responsibilities and with a shared future for mankind based on the principle of "Extensive Consultation, Joint Contribution and Shared Benefits". The BRI will promote the reform and improvement of the global governance system and give a new impetus to global economic growth and all-round sustainable development. The establishment of the SCO Demonstration Zone has created a new platform for B&R international cooperation, as a pilot zone for local economic and trade cooperation. She said that China and Kazakhstan are friendly neighbors and permanent strategic partners. Kazakhstan is the first to respond to the BRI and also an important member state of the SCO. Its Bright Road Initiative is strategically linked to the BRI and the two countries share interests in many areas. China-Kazakhstan cooperation should make good use of the SCO Demonstration Zone, a new platform for international cooperation, and give full play to the development advantages of the SCO Demonstration Zone in terms of location, policy and industrial foundation. We should explore new mechanisms and modes of bilateral cooperation, build a cooperation framework between the two governments, and strengthen the coordination of policies and development plans; enhance interaction in logistics, trade, finance, business travel, and parks to achieve win-win cooperation; pay attention to exchanges and cooperation between think tanks, chambers of commerce and other organizations, and give full play to the promoting role of NGOs. In 2020, China and Kazakhstan should match their demands, mobilize resources and carry out practical cooperation in park construction, smart city construction, AI, agriculture, environmental protection and culture and tourism.
Qingxian WANG, Member of the Standing Committee of Shandong Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of Qingdao Municipal Party Committee, delivers a speech at the Conference
Qingxian WANG pointed out in his speech that Qingdao, as a new platform for the B&R international cooperation, will give full play to the role of a node city in the economic corridor of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge, with its development focused on international trade, modern logistics, two-way investment, and business travel and culture, and further promote the new pattern of China's opening-up through "Two-way Complementation between the East and the West, Internal and External Linkage of Land and Sea". There is large room for trade cooperation between China and the B&R countries and SCO member states. In 2019, the volume of trade between China and the SCO member states increased by 25%, and that between China and the B&R countries increased by nearly 30%. Against the background of serious trade friction between China and the United States, trade volume of Qingdao with foreign countries still increased by 11%, much higher than the national level. In the new round of China's reform and opening-up, Qingdao's positioning in the B&R international cooperation and China's cooperation with SCO member states is playing a huge and obviously influential role in unprecedentedly increasing its market activity, especially in the capital market and making important achievements in emerging industries and industrial structure optimization. Qingxian WANG told Kazakhstan participants that relying on the Qingdao SCO Demonstration Zone, future China-Kazakhstan cooperation will have great development potential and broad development space. Both sides must implement the cooperation by specific projects and push them forward one by one to ensure actual results.
Askar URTEMBAEV, Head of Kazakhstan delegation, andDeputy Head of the Administration of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, delivers a speech at the Commencement
Askar URTEMBAEV, Head of Kazakhstan delegation, said in his speech that he had seen the achievements of China's economy in person and understood why the Chinese Government has taken Qingdao as a leading-edge base to develop high-tech industries since it is a promising city which will open up vast opportunities for Kazakhstan.`
The organizer conferred the Certificate of Completion to Askar URTEMBAEV, Deputy Head of the Administration of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The organizer conferred the Certificate of Completion to Nurzhan ALTAYEV, Member of the Committee on Agrarian Issues of Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The Seminar enabled China and Kazakhstan to have an in-depth understanding of their national conditions and policies, explore the common grounds for their practical cooperation in the future, create a new mode of bilateral exchange and dialogue, establish a new platform to help young leaders of Kazakhstan better understand China's reform and opening-up policies, the BRI, the positioning and advantages of the SCO Demonstration Zone, and draw experience from China's industrial planning, park construction, and smart city construction, share China's scientific and technological innovation achievements, jointly chart a future path for mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, and provide new ideas for jointly building the BRI with high quality. The Seminar has strengthened the bilateral friendship. After the Seminar, Kazakh representatives said that they would seriously study and put into practice what they had learned at the Seminar, and make contributions to jointly realizing the goal of developing a permanent strategic and comprehensive partnership between China and Kazakhstan for mutual benefits and win-win situation.
Successful completion of China-Kazakhstan Jointly Building B&R International High-level Seminar
The China-Kazakhstan Jointly Building B&R International High-level Seminar resulted in the formation of 2020 China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Program. After the Seminar, the organizer will actively collaborate with the government, think tanks, enterprises and other resources to further implement projects on smart city, park construction, agriculture, culture and tourism, logistics, new manufacturing modes, etc. listed in the 2020 China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Program, so as to promote the practical progress of China-Kazakhstan cooperation.
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