Kazakhstan and China are set to ink 60 agreements worth up to $25 billion as part of a sweeping strategic partnership, solidified during the China–Central Asia Industrial and Investment Cooperation Forum held in Astana. The deals mark a new phase of cooperation, particularly in nuclear energy, infrastructure, and mineral supply chains.
At the center of the new partnership is China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), which Kazakhstan has now officially designated as a strategic partner for its upcoming nuclear power plant projects. The two sides are also launching joint research into transboundary uranium ore belts, reinforcing Kazakhstan’s role as a global uranium powerhouse and a key nuclear fuel supplier to China.
“Kazakhstan considers CNNC a reliable strategic partner,” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated, highlighting CNNC’s global track record and Kazakhstan’s own dominance in uranium supply. In 2022, the country supplied 25% of U.S. uranium imports, more than twice that of Russia.
Bilateral trade has also surged, hitting a record $44 billion in 2024, with Kazakhstan’s strategic location and mineral wealth serving as a cornerstone of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The forum spotlighted plans to upgrade logistics corridors, expand border infrastructure, and simplify customs procedures, all part of Beijing’s wider ambition to make Kazakhstan Central Asia’s premier transit and supply hub.
The announcement comes at a pivotal time. China’s push to build 150 nuclear reactors by 2035 — 27 of which are already under construction — is setting a new global pace in nuclear energy. Its domestic capacity, innovation leadership, and fourth-generation reactor tech, such as the recently launched Shidaowan-1 plant, are positioning Beijing to dominate nuclear exports just as it has with electric vehicles and batteries.
This partnership could see Kazakhstan, which currently lacks any nuclear energy production, transform into a key node in China’s—and the world’s—nuclear future. With both countries leveraging uranium-rich geology and deepening geopolitical ties, this move further sidelines the West, especially the U.S., which remains heavily dependent on foreign uranium despite efforts to revive its own nuclear sector.
