AIFC and CICC Expand Investment Cooperation Between Kazakhstan and China
The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC, the Centre), in partnership with China International Capital Corporation (CICC), hosted the AIFC-CICC Investors Day in Astana. The event brought together representatives of the investment communities of Kazakhstan, Mainland China, and Hong Kong SAR to discuss capital market development, opportunities for expanding investment cooperation, and new avenues for attracting capital to the region.
Today, the AIFC serves as a key platform for attracting international capital to Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Through its jurisdiction based on the principles of English common law, the international exchange infrastructure of the Astana International Exchange (AIX), and a favourable regulatory environment, the Centre provides a platform for structuring major investment projects across the region.
The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the AIFC, as well as leading financial institutions and investment companies from Kazakhstan, Mainland China, and Hong Kong SAR. As part of the programme, leading Kazakhstani companies such as BI Group, Solidcore, Freedom Holding Corp., Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, AMC One and MOST Investment presented their projects to institutional investors from Hong Kong SAR. Discussions focused on the practical aspects of accessing international capital markets for Kazakhstani issuers.
Opening the event, AIFC Governor Renat Bekturov stated:
“Today, the competitiveness of economies is determined not only by the scale of their resources, but also by their ability to integrate effectively into international trade, transport, and financial networks. Recent trends in the global economy show that resilience is achieved through the diversification of routes, markets, and sources of capital.
Kazakhstan’s strategic location at the crossroads of Asia and Europe creates unique opportunities to strengthen economic connectivity between regions. We see significant potential for expanding Kazakhstan–China cooperation through investment projects, capital market development, infrastructure, and sustainable finance. Such initiatives create new opportunities for businesses, contribute to economic growth, and strengthen long-term partnerships between our countries.”
China remains one of Kazakhstan’s largest trading and investment partners. Bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and China reached a record USD 48.7 billion, representing an 11% increase compared to the previous year. This growing economic engagement is also reflected within the AIFC ecosystem, where more than 1,300 Chinese companies are currently registered, making the Chinese business community one of the largest foreign participant groups at the Centre.
During the event, the AIFC presented its ecosystem capabilities to international investors, including access to capital markets through AIX, sustainable finance and carbon market initiatives, as well as new areas of ecosystem development such as aviation finance and support for junior mining companies.
Particular attention was given to strengthening cooperation between Kazakhstan and Asia’s leading financial centres. These discussions built on initiatives launched during the recent visit to Kazakhstan by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, John Lee. During the visit, a number of memoranda were signed between the AIFC and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), Invest Hong Kong, South China Morning Post Publishers Limited, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, China International Capital Corporation Limited, EWPartners Investment Management Limited, the Belt and Road Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as well as a memorandum between AIX and HKEX.
The AIFC-CICC Investors Day demonstrated the strong interest of Chinese financial institutions and investors in the opportunities offered by Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The event marked another important step in strengthening investment dialogue between the two countries and expanding international cooperation.
Reference:
The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is an independent jurisdiction where investors and business meet emerging opportunities of Kazakhstan and Central Asia in a transparent and sustainable environment backed by the principles of English Common Law. www.aifc.kz
AIFC Press Office,
Ainur Issabayeva, press secretary
E-mail: [email protected]
China International Capital Corporation Limited was established in 1995. It has been committed to providing high-quality and value-added financial services to a diversified set of clients, building up a balanced, full-service model based on research and information technology that empowers investment banking, equities, FICC (fixed income, currencies, and commodities), asset management, private equity, and wealth management businesses. Headquartered in Beijing, the Group has over 200 offices in China and subsidiaries or branches in Hong Kong, New York, London, Singapore, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City, and Dubai.
