Russia and China are closely following the situation in Kazakhstan, which is currently experiencing the largest protests in its post-Soviet history, as it is a country with which they have deep political and economic ties.
These are the keys to understanding what the largest country in Central Asia means to its two great neighbors.
Extensive common border
Kazakhstan shares a 7,598-kilometer border with Russia. It is the second longest land border in the world, after the one that separates the United States and Canada.
The ex-Soviet republic also has a 1,782-kilometer border with China, of which 1,215 kilometers are land borders and 566 kilometers are water.
The Kazakh-Chinese border was established after the fall of the USSR and the independence of Kazakhstan, which was previously part of the Communist Empire and, previously, the Russian Empire.
Main business partners
Russia is traditionally the main trading partner of the Central Asian republic, followed by China.
Trade between Kazakhstan and Russia exceeded $ 20 billion in the first ten months of 2021, after increasing by 30% compared to the previous year’s figures.
Meanwhile, the Kazakh-Chinese exchange between January and September 2021 stood at US $ 13.5 billion, with a growth of 12.5% compared to 2020 figures, marked by the coronavirus pandemic.
Common history
The history of modern Kazakhstan is closely tied to Russia. The country, which declared its independence in 1991, was under communist rule for seven decades and was previously part of the Russian Empire.
Russians are also now the largest community in the country. It is estimated that this ethnic group makes up 18% of the total population, that is, about 3.5 million people.
At the same time, the number of Russians has been gradually decreasing in the Central Asian country, where there were some six million Russians at the time of the declaration of independence.
However, the majority of the population understands Russian, and the country’s leaders often make their statements in precisely that language, while stressing the need to promote the use and give higher priority to the Kazakh language.
In 2017, the government approved a plan to convert the Kazakh alphabet from Cyrillic to Latin over the next few years.
Political ties
Kazakhstan maintains an intense political dialogue with Russia, a country with which it is part of various regional integrations.
Relations between the parties have been described by both countries as “strategic” and the leaders of the two countries meet quite frequently to address the bilateral agenda.
One of the main documents that guides current political contacts is a good neighbor and alliance treaty, signed in 2013.
China is also a “strategic partner” of Kazakhstan and the two countries have committed in 2011 in a joint declaration to continue developing their cooperation regardless of changes in the international or regional situation.
“The development of comprehensive strategic cooperation between the parties will be one of the foreign policy priorities” of the countries, reads the document.
Strategic objects
On the territory of Kazakhstan, the ninth largest country in the world, there are various strategic objects.
The most important of them is the Baikonur Cosmodrome, located in the Kazakh steppe, from where Russia launches its space missions.
After the disintegration of the USSR, Moscow leased the cosmodrome for a period of 20 years, which was then extended for another 30 years.
Annually Russia pays US $ 115 million (5% of the budget of its space agency) for the lease of this strategic object.
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Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
