When Kamila Karamanova left Kazakhstan in 2009 to study in Shandong Province, she never imagined she'd become a living symbol of cross-border connectivity. Now a long-term resident of the Chinese mainland, Karamanova credits the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with strengthening ties between her homeland and adoptive country through what she calls "a bridge of shared prosperity."
Her recent speech at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forum highlighted how infrastructure projects and cultural exchanges under the BRI framework have created new opportunities for Central Asian entrepreneurs. "What began as railway lines evolved into digital corridors linking businesses, classrooms connecting students, and innovation hubs fostering joint research," she told attendees.
Analysts note that Kazakhstan-China trade reached $31.5 billion in 2023, with BRI-linked ventures in renewable energy and smart agriculture attracting overseas investors. For the Asian diaspora and global business community, stories like Karamanova's demonstrate how regional integration initiatives translate to tangible economic growth and people-to-people bonds.
