Development of China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Building the Silk Road of the Twenty-First Century?

This article examines different stages of the development of China-Kazakhstan cooperation and identifies major factors that have facilitated the advancement of close links between them. It explains China's role in Kazakhstan's multi-vectored foreign policy and demonstrates major milestones in the expansion of bilateral political and economic ties. It also addresses the current developments of China-Kazakhstan cooperation, particularly as related to the implementation of the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) initiative. In conclusion, the article argues that the China-Kazakhstan cooperation may promote the implementation of the SREB initiative, while also contributing to the consolidation of authoritarian regimes in the wider region.