Kazakhstan, a country in Central Asia, is currently the world's largest uranium miner, with known proven uranium reserves of up to 700,000 tons, accounting for 14% of the global total. It ranks first in the world in terms of mining volume all year round, and China, the United States, Russia, Japan, and South Korea are all loyal buyers of this country.
At present, the international situation is changing, and Kazakhstan has encountered some obstacles and troubles with foreign countries. In order to meet its own needs, Kazakhstan plans to do two businesses with our country: one is to export uranium ore to the United States through China, and the other is to export resources to Japan and South Korea.
You must know that China's current development in many areas is under US sanctions. The attitude of Japan and South Korea, as pawns of the United States, toward our country is obvious to all. Why on earth is Kazakhstan using China? Why are we acceding to Kazakhstan's request?
Reason for borrowing. In December 2023, the Xi'an terminal in Kazakhstan will be officially put into use. The project is located in Xi'an International Port, with a total area of only 120 acres. This is Kazakhstan's first investment in railway logistics in the country.
The project was launched in May. After the efforts of Shaanxi Construction Group day and night, it took only three months from entry to completion, once again demonstrating the "efficiency of Xi'an Port" to the world. We can consider it as Kazakhstan's leading and logistics hub in China. Through this project, Kazakhstan can transport its own materials and energy here through the China-Europe freight train, and then send them to all parts of China in a steady stream.
The Xi'an terminal is unique to China, so it is a great benefit for us. However, the operation of another port has been controversial, and that is the China-Kazakhstan Lianyungang Logistics Cooperation Base.
China-Harbin Lianyungang Logistics Cooperation Base is located in Jiangsu Province, China. It is the first physical platform project of the Belt and Road Initiative, which was officially launched as early as 2014. After ten years of development, the port now has a container yard area of 220,000 square meters, with a maximum annual loading and unloading capacity of 410,000 TEUs8 km of dedicated railway line. It is an important port for transit transportation and transportation in Central Asian countries.
It provides Kazakhstan with direct access to the Pacific Ocean. 80% of Kazakhstan's mineral products, consumer goods and grain exports transit through China must pass through Lianyungang for distribution and distribution. Among them, grain, iron ore, potash fertilizer and other resources exported to Japan and South Korea need to be exported through Lianyungang**.
There is nothing wrong with food, but the transportation of iron ore and potash fertilizer indirectly helped the development of Japan and South Korea, causing dissatisfaction among some people. Everyone knows the attitude of Japan and South Korea towards China, and there is no reason for us to help. However, this is not the first time that Kazakhstan has used the ** route.
Kazakhstan plays a pivotal role in the global uranium chain. In 2021, its annual uranium production reached 19,477 tons, accounting for 40 percent of the global share8%。The United States alone imported a full 6,368 tons of uranium in 2022.
Previously, uranium** between Kazakhstan and European and American countries was done through the Russian port of St. Petersburg. However, since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, Russia's relations with the United States and Western countries have become strained. They are located on opposite sides of each other. Europe and the United States have imposed restrictions on Russian energy exports in many ways.
In response, Russia issued an order banning the transit of Kazakh uranium ore through the country**. Faced with serious obstacles to the export of uranium ore, Kazakhstan had to look for new transport routes.
It is quite awkward to know that the geographical location of Kazakhstan is quite awkward. It is located in the interior of Asia and is the largest landlocked country in the world. It is bordered by Russia to the north and Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to the south. The two bodies of water adjacent to it are inland lakes and oceans. Therefore, the external situation in Kazakhstan is actually very difficult.
To the south are some backward countries such as Uzbekistan, and to the west can be transported by sea through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and finally through Turkish ports. However, the Western Front spanned three countries. The customs standards of the three countries are different, and the level of transportation is also uneven. This leads to increased costs and inefficiencies.
After much deliberation and weighing, Kazakhstan finally decided to turn east for help, with China as their only savior. Because not only do we have the best infrastructure capabilities in the world, but we also have a very well-developed rail system and a high standard of customs**. Uranium ore can be transported to ports on the southeast coast and then across the Pacific Ocean to the United States, making it the best option for Kazakhstan to export uranium ore.
But what reason does our country have to agree to help Kazakhstan with the transportation of mineral resources to Japan, South Korea and the United States? What's in it for our country?
Interests of both parties. The fact that our country was able to agree to the transportation of minerals from Kazakhstan was, naturally, deliberate.
First, for Japan, South Korea, and the United States, even avoiding Kazakhstan can meet domestic resource needs.
Just like the United States, where the demand for uranium ore is huge, but its subordinate Australia is the second largest uranium producer in the world. Even if our country bans exports from Kazakhstan, it will not be possible to strangle the United States. When the time comes, the gains will outweigh the losses. Not only will it not affect the United States, but it will also lead to a decrease in Kazakhstan's trust in our country.
Secondly, we actually have the ability to control Kazakhstan's lending behavior in our country, and we can also intervene in some strategic goods. In a sense, this has allowed our country to intensify its countermeasures.
It is important to know that Kazakhstan is of great significance to our country. They are rich in mineral energy, including oil, gas, coal, and uranium. Tungsten ore reserves account for 50% of the world, and chrome ore and uranium ore reserves rank first in the world. Second, it is an indispensable partner for China, which is suffering from a severe shortage of energy reserves.
For Kazakhstan, China's advanced industrial level can make up for its development shortcomings. Take, for example, uranium mining. In the early days, uranium mining in Kazakhstan was dominated by the Soviet Union. The mining method adopted by the USSR was bombing. As a result, radioactive contamination spread throughout the ground.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, China provided Kazakhstan with an advanced mining method - in-situ uranium mining. Non-destructive uranium mining is carried out while fully protecting the soil vegetation on the ground. In 2020, China's General Nuclear Power Company helped Kazakhstan build its first ground-based enriched uranium processing plant, which greatly improved the level of uranium development in Kazakhstan, allowing it to shift from only mining raw ore to uranium product processing and earning more profits.
Therefore, the resources of the two sides are highly complementary, and it is necessary to strengthen cooperation and exchanges. And along the "Belt and Road", Kazakhstan also occupies an important position.
Kazakhstan was the first country to join the Belt and Road Initiative and the first to implement the Belt and Road Initiative. Kazakhstan occupies an incomparable position as an important hub connecting the Eurasian continent. Since the opening of the China-Europe Railway Express in 2011, 83% of the goods have passed through Kazakhstan, and this proportion has been increasing year by year. In 2022, China** evaluated Kazakhstan as "the starting point of China's global dream".
When talking about Kazakhstan in 2022, the spokesperson of our country called it a brotherly neighbor and a permanent comprehensive strategic partner, and expressed his willingness to do his best to help Kazakhstan overcome all difficulties. You must know that China's relations with Pakistan are all-weather strategic partnerships, while China's relations with Russia are comprehensive strategic partnerships of coordination in the new era. In contrast, it shows that it attaches great importance to Kazakhstan.
At the recent Belt and Road Summit, Kazakhstan took the lead in receiving and signing the first order, and the two sides signed more than 30 cooperation projects. These are all things that Kazakhstan and China will continue to cooperate and work together on in the future. The best proof of progress.
In fact, Kazakhstan not only needs to use channels to carry out foreign affairs in our country, but also has built a port in Kazakhstan to facilitate the sale of goods to Europe and Central Asia. For example, the annual transshipment capacity of Alashankou Port reaches 200,000 railway standard containers, the Khorgos Port departs 20 trains per day, the annual freight capacity of Baktu Port is 200,000 tons, and the Jimunai Port and Dulata Port are located.
Therefore, any seemingly futile decision must be driven by a huge chain of interests. China has always supported the peaceful development of third world countries, and even provided a large amount of assistance, so it can be said that it is a big country. As citizens, we should not limit ourselves to the surface of things when looking at national decision-making.