China-Kazakhstan Trade Relations in the Context of Sanctions against Russia

Abstract

The Ukrainian conflict in 2022 created unstable environment in the international arena. Western countries imposed various sanctions on Russia as it emerged as aggressor in the conflict. These sanctions caused various challenges for several states in the Central Asian region, because of Russia, one of the great powers in the region and key trading partner, appeared under the sanctions. In this regard, the role of China as a future main trading partner gains the importance among Central Asian states. This study describes the dynamics of Kazakhstan-China trade in the context of ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Used data will include secondary data in the face of official reports from the governmental websites, academic articles, news sources and official statistics from websites. According to findings of the study, trade dynamics between Kazakhstan and China rose after Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia. The conclusion of this study emphasizes the development in Sino-Kazakh trade relations after sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries. Also, it articulates the further recommendations for Kazakhstan to improve its trade relations with Eastern neighbour.