[5] However, several incidents with regard to Chinese nationalism as well as Xinjiang conflict in recent years have hampered the development process.

[13] During the Han dynasty, one of Kazakhstan's ancestors, the Wusun, practiced heqin (intermarriage) with the Chinese, marking the beginning of relations.

[14] During the rule of Emperor Wu of Han, Zhang Qian was the official dispatched to the Western Regions (西域 xiyu) to help the Wusun against the Xiongnu.

[17] The battle was probably fought near Taraz on the Talas River in eastern Kazakhstan, which makes it one of the westernmost points reached by a Chinese army (Protectorate of the Western Regions).

Under the reign of Jiajing (1522–1566), the foundations for a flourishing relationship between Ming China and the Kazakh Khanate were established, but contacts stopped after 1537.

In 1862, Russian Cossack cavalry invaded Xinjiang and defeated Manchu troops, occupying 580,000 square kilometers, including a large part of present-day Kazakhstan.

[20] During the Tsar's rule, a large amount of Kazakh land was converted into immigrant areas, the number of livestock was greatly reduced, and the nomadic herdsmen's life deteriorated.

[21]Kazakhstan is China's key partner in the Central Asian region due to its location, size, and substantial energy resources.

[25]: 215  Kazakh political elites portray cooperation with China in a positive light, which has also helped increase favorable public sentiment in Kazakhstan.

[26] The People's Republic of China and Kazakhstan formed diplomatic relations on January 3, 1992, on the same day that the Kazakh government expressed support for the one-China policy and opposition to the East Turkestan independence movement.

[38] On October 16, 2013, the Kazakhstan Majilis and China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) signed a memorandum of understanding.

[39] From 2015 to 2017, Kazakhstan and China signed five agreements to create cooperation zones in transportation infrastructure, trade, processing industries, construction, agriculture, and more.

[40]: 158 On 9 July 2020, the Chinese embassy in Kazakhstan issued a warning which stated that an unidentified strain of pneumonia with a death rate which was "much higher" than the one which is caused by COVID-19 was spreading in several Kazakh cities.

[42] However, the next day, the Kazakh Health Ministry dismissed the claim by China's embassy and media as "fake news" but did note that those pneumonia cases had exhibited clinical symptoms of abnormalities.

The Kazkah government aims to further grow annual trade turnover with China by up to $35 billion by 2030, following an agreement by the two countries' leaders.

[27] In developing ties with China, Kazakhstan aims to balance the geopolitical and economic influence of its northern neighbour Russia.

[31] China also aims to prevent the growth of U.S. influence in the region and the possible establishment of American air bases in Kazakhstan.

[30][31] In 1997, both nations signed an agreement to reduce the presence of military forces along the common border along with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

[32] On 28 March 2023, Kazakhstan and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of the People's Republic of China signed a Second friendly dialogue of cross-border cooperation, where covered areas including energy, tourism, food industry, engineering, agriculture, and others.

[49] The origins of the border line between China and Kazakhstan date back to the mid-19th century, when the Russian empire was able to establish its control over the Lake Zaysan region.

After the fall of the rebellion and the reconquest of Xinjiang by Zuo Zongtang, the border between the Russian and the Qing empires in the Irtysh basin was further slightly readjusted, in Russia's favor, by the Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881).

[55] According to MIT Professor Taylor Fravel, "The collapse of the Soviet Union might have presented China with an ideal opportunity to regain the more than 34,000 square kilometers of territory it claimed in Central Asia.

In the context of ethnic unrest, however, China chose to improve ties with the newly independent states to deny external support to separatist groups in Xinjiang.

"[53] China compromised in territorial disputes with central Asian republics in order to secure their support for stability in Xinjiang.

According to Fravel, "China needed cooperation with its neighbors to prevent the spread of pan-Islamic and pan-Turkic forces to the region, limit external support for separatists within Xinjiang, and increase cross-border trade as part of a broader strategy to reduce tensions among ethnic groups through development.

[56][57] In an interview after returning to China, Zhang Xiao said the article was self-media [zh] (personal media) which did not represent China's official position at all and he would convey to "relevant domestic departments" his Kazakh counterpart's request to eliminate the influence of "people with ulterior motives".

[2] Indeed, President Nazarbayev once said that both China and Kazakhstan have a long common history, similar traditions and cultures, and are multi-ethnic countries.

[citation needed] Ürümqi stages Kazakh huaju (话剧, dramas), which have even been attended by numerous leaders of the province.

[65] China and Kazakhstan jointly applied for a section of the Silk Road to become a world heritage site, and the application was approved.

After the Chinese economic reform, they went to Xinjiang to do trade and imported technology from Xi'an to develop Kazakhstan's economy.