AIFC Day Cross-Border Investment & Financing Roadshow Held Successfully in Chengdu 

On July 11, 2025, the AIFC Day (Astana International Financial Centre Roadshow) concluded successfully as a part of the Chengdu Finance Week series “The Tailor-Made Finance & Innovation Visit In Chengdu”. The event was co-guided by the China Society of World Economics, China International Finance Society, China Association for the Promotion of Development Financing, Chinese Association of Middle East Studies, and China Reform Forum. 

Hosted by China Innovation Finance Institute, the event gathered government representatives, financial institutions, enterprises, and experts from both China and Kazakhstan. Through high-level dialogues, institutions roadshows, and field visits, participants explored new opportunities for cross-border investment cooperation, showcased collaborative potential in industry, finance, and cross-border investment, and injected fresh momentum into regional economic collaboration under the Belt and Road framework. 

Focusing on Financial Cooperation, Charting a Collaborative Blueprint 

In his keynote speech, Renat Bekturov, Governor of AIFC, stated: “Legal transparency and investor-friendly regulations make the AIFC a secure and attractive destination for institutions from all over the world, including major economies like China. Chengdu, as Western China’s economic and financial hub, shares broad cooperation prospects with AIFC in cross-border investment, financial services, and technology sectors.” 

Kazakhstan-China relations continue to demonstrate steady growth, covering strategic areas such as trade, investment, energy, and infrastructure development. Bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and China has seen unprecedented growth, reaching USD 43.8 billion in 2024. Trade infrastructure, including the Khorgos – Eastern Gate Special Economic Zone and the KTZE dry port, is strengthening industrial cooperation and logistics. 

The AIFC is an ideal platform for structuring large infrastructural initiatives like BRI and Middle Corridor. The Middle Corridor trade route, linking China, Central Asia, and Europe, is key to regional connectivity. Kazakhstan is advancing infrastructure along this corridor to support multimodal trade. Several international joint ventures registered at the AIFC aims to improve logistics and boost regional infrastructure systems.  

The AIFC is recognized by international rankings as the leading financial hub in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Since 2018, the AIFC attracted $16.9 billion in investments, and more than 4,000 companies from 85 countries. 

As for today a total of 776 companies with Chinese capital were registered at the AIFC. The largest share – 277 companies – operate in the trade sector. Financial services and insurance account for 96 companies, ICT – 84, and over 140 are involved in the mining and manufacturing industries. The AIFC platform is witnessing growing interest from Chinese companies to do business in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. 

Discussions on infrastructure investment, financial services, and technology empowerment featured insights from Timur Onzhanov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Baiterek National Managing Holding, Sadvakkas Seitzhanov, CEO of KTZ Express China, Roza Jamulbek, VP of CICC International Asia – Australia Region; Chunyu Liu, Deputy General Manager, International Division of the China Construction Bank Sichuan Branch, and Kei Leu, Chief Strategy Officer of Brillink Bank. Participants noted significant complementarity in energy, agriculture, and digital economy sectors, advocating for innovative financial instruments to advance bilateral cooperation. 

In recent years, Chengdu has actively promoted cross-border investment, industrial collaboration, and financial innovation with Kazakhstan, supporting Western Chinese enterprises in financing activities via AIX. During the event, AIFC Authority and China Innovation Finance Institute signed a strategic MOU to deepen cooperation in China-Kazakhstan financial research and support Chinese and Kazakh enterprises’ global expansion. Also, AIX and China Innovation Finance Institute reached a cooperation consensus to enhance capital market collaboration. 

Exploring New Pathways for Industry-Finance Integration, Opening a New Chapter of Cooperation 

Against the backdrop of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Sichuan has strengthened ties with Central Asian nations. From frequent high-level exchanges to steady progress in trade and investment, Sichuan advances sister-city development and explores integrated industry-finance models. 

During the event, the Kazakh delegation visited key Chengdu sites to study its financial ecosystem and technological innovation, including Chengdu International Financial Square and Taikoo Li. 

The delegation conducted in-depth visits to Bailuwan Science and Technology Eco Park, HarmonyOS Ecosystem Innovation Center, and Jiaozi Financial Business District. At Bailuwan Science and Technology Eco Park, they examined the “technology + finance + ecology” innovation model; at HarmonyOS Center, explored smart city and industrial IoT applications; at Jiaozi District, witnessed achievements in sci-tech finance, digital finance, and green finance. 

Chengdu Finance Week has established an efficient dialogue platform for China-Kazakhstan financial cooperation while delivering practical opportunities. Moving forward, AIFC and China Innovation Finance Institute will leverage these outcomes to deepen collaboration in international financial hub development, capital markets, green finance, and tech incubation, driving high-quality regional economic growth under the Belt and Road Initiative. 

Reference:   

The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is a leading financial hub in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region, designed to connect global capital with the vast opportunities of emerging markets. Positioned at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the AIFC combines international best practices with innovative approaches to create a world-class platform for investment, business, and financial services. Since its establishment in 2018, the AIFC has attracted over USD 16,9 bln in investments into Kazakhstan’s economy. Over 4,000 companies from 80+ countries, including the USA, the UK, China, Turkiye, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and others, are registered within the AIFC’s jurisdiction. www.aifc.kz