China will strengthen the status of the major investment partner in Central Asia this year, the Kazakhstani expert believes

Almaty. January 14. Silkroadnews - China will strengthen its status as the key investment partner in Central Asia this year. Yerlan Karin, director of the Kazakhstani Institute of Strategic Research (KISR), expressed the opinion.
“In 2016 the trend for expansion of China’s investment presence in Central Asia shall continue. In our opinion China has been the key trading partner for the countries of Central Asia for quite a long period of time. This year, it seems to us, that in addition to the status of the key trading partner China will also strengthen the status of the major investment partner. Its investments, we think, will be the key drivers for some important regional projects”, E. Karin said at the round table “Central Asia - 2016: Trends and Challenges” on Thursday.
He reminded that in September last year the visit of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to China resulted in agreements worth $23 billion, and at the end of 2015 Prime Minister Karim Massimov has negotiated a new contract for $10 billion.
“Moreover, the session is expected in China in March to pass a new development strategy with focus on the economic zone of the Silk Road as the earlier announced initiative of the Chinese side”, the expert added.