A business delegation led by Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee and organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) began its visit to Astana, Kazakhstan, on June 1, resulting in the signing of 43 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and announcements. These agreements span trade and commerce, investment, financial services, technology, aviation, and green finance, aiming to bolster cooperation among Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, and Kazakhstan while leveraging Hong Kong's unique position as a two-way services platform.
During a business luncheon co-hosted by the HKSAR Government and the HKTDC, Chief Executive John Lee highlighted Kazakhstan's historical role as a bridge between Eastern and Western civilizations. 'From the port of Khorgos to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, Kazakhstan is now a business and logistics hub linking China and Europe. Hong Kong, a pivotal player in the Belt and Road Initiative, looks forward to working with Kazakhstan in creating mutual opportunities,' Lee said.
HKTDC Chairman Prof Frederick Ma noted that Kazakhstan is the largest economy in Central Asia, accounting for 53% of the region's GDP in 2025. 'Under its Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy, the country aims to become one of the world's top 30 most developed economies by 2050, demonstrating strong growth potential,' Ma said. He emphasized that the visit enhanced local enterprises' understanding of Hong Kong's advantages as a superconnector and super value-adder, creating cooperation opportunities in logistics infrastructure, green finance, digital economy, and agricultural processing.
The delegation comprises 70 business leaders from Hong Kong and representatives from 17 Chinese provinces and municipalities, covering sectors such as finance, logistics, technology, trade, green industries, energy, biopharmaceuticals, automotive, and media. For the first time, representatives from journalism associations, including The Newspaper Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong News Executives' Association, joined to help tell the Hong Kong story overseas.
During their stay, the delegation met with senior officials from government bodies and corporations, including the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs 'Atameken', 'Baiterek' National Investment Holding, Halyk Bank, and Samruk-Kazyna. They also visited Astana Hub and the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) to learn about Kazakhstan's innovation and financial developments.
Key MoUs signed include agreements between the HKTDC and 'Atameken', the HKTDC and AIFC, the Airport Authority and Almaty International Airport, Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Limited and AIX, and various others covering technology, finance, and trade. The full list of 43 MoUs is available through the HKTDC.
Kazakhstan's GDP is projected to grow by 4.6% in 2026 to approximately US$360.5 billion, maintaining its status as Central Asia's largest economy. The IMF forecasts GDP growth for Central Asia and the Caucasus at 6.2% in 2025 and 4.8% in 2026, above the global average of 3.1%.
Following the Kazakhstan visit, the delegation will head to Uzbekistan to further explore business cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Photo download: https://bit.ly/49zcFUn
