Kazakhstan plans to establish exports of grain, meat and other products to Hong Kong via the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. There is also interest in increasing supplies to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region itself. These issues were discussed at a meeting in Urumqi by Kazakh Vice Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Party Committee Secretary Ma Xingrui and Hong Kong Secretary of Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau.
Amangaliy Berdalin, Vice Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who participated in the meeting, noted that Kazakh producers are interested in exporting livestock products to Hong Kong, including game meat, beef, lamb, pork and poultry, honey, feed additives, dairy and plant products - grain, flour, oilseeds and vegetable oils. However, there are problems that slow down supplies, the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan reported.
To date, Kazakhstan and China have signed protocols for the export of 9 types of livestock products. But for export to Hong Kong, it is necessary to conclude protocols for each type of product with the Hong Kong veterinary service. The Ministry of Agriculture has already begun this work. Kazakhstan also proposed to carry out trial deliveries of wheat flour to Hong Kong through the Chinese port of Lianyungang.
According to the press service of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, during the trilateral meeting, Ma Xingrui said that Xinjiang is ready to become a bridge connecting Kazakhstan with two regions of China.
“Hong Kong has great advantages and support from mainland China, is an important trade and logistics center, and borders many countries. We can create a mechanism of interaction, a point of strategic and practical cooperation, relying on existing cooperation platforms. All this will allow us to increase investments, cooperate in the financial sector, energy, agriculture, improve the efficiency of logistics, strengthen humanitarian and cultural cooperation in education, healthcare, tourism, scientific research, and academic exchanges,” Ma Xingrui noted.
In turn, Serik Zhumangarin proposed to create the Kazakhstan-XUAR-Hong Kong Cooperation Council, which would develop specific proposals to intensify investment and trade and economic cooperation. The Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan also proposed to create joint production facilities in Kazakhstan with the participation of Hong Kong capital, especially in the field of deep processing of the agricultural sector.
“We are the largest exporters of grain and oilseed products in the region and the world, and the volume of livestock exports is growing. We invite Hong Kong and XUAR enterprises to implement joint projects in Kazakhstan for the deep processing of Kazakh agricultural raw materials and the production of food products that could be exported to Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. For the systematic financing of joint projects in Kazakhstan, XUAR and Hong Kong, we propose to establish a Joint Investment Fund with headquarters in Urumqi or Hong Kong,” said Serik Zhumangarin.
A proposal has also been made to create a joint research center in Kazakhstan to develop sustainable plant varieties and technologies to increase crop yields. There is a willingness on the part of Kazakhstani companies to supply environmentally friendly agricultural products to Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, the Greater Bay Area, and Southeast China.