Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Chinese President Xi Jinping adopted a 2027-30 trade and economic program on the fringes of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, or WAIC, in Shanghai, China, Akorda reported on July 16. Kazakh and Chinese entities also signed over 70 commercial deals worth over $15 billion, and Kazakhstan joined the China-led World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, or WAICO, as a founding member.

Tokayev arrived in Shanghai to attend the WAIC, which he is expected to address on July 17. At a roundtable with Chinese executives, he said bilateral trade reached $49 billion in 2025 and that more than 8,500 Chinese-backed companies operate in Kazakhstan. Ahead of the conference, Beijing formally launched WAICO with 29 founding members, including Russia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Laos, to promote its approach to global AI governance.