For many Chinese investors, Kazakhstan and Central Asia have long been associated with natural resources—oil, gas, mining and commodities. Zhanbolat Kakishev, Chief Product Officer of the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC), believes that perception is beginning to change. “Traditionally, China always looked into the advanced economies—Europe, America, Australia, Canada—and tried to do business and build production there because they would like to be closer to the international customer,” Kakishev told TechNode in Astana.
“But I think Central Asia was always skipped and overlooked,” he said. “We were only considered to be a natural-resources type play.”