On May 19, 2025, the partner seminar on “Investment Opportunities and Challenges in Kazakhstan: AIFC Solutions”, hosted by Zhonglun W&D Law Firm, was successfully held at its Beijing headquarters. The event featured distinguished guests including Mr. Arman Batayev, former colleague of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and current shareholder and managing partner of OD, a leading consulting firm in Kazakhstan; business development advisor Ms. Aigerim Akylova; and Mr. Arsen Zhanabekov, founder of Qurmet/Atlant Mining Company. The seminar was co-chaired by Gaochong Hu, Member of the firm’s Executive Committee and Senior Partner, and Partner Ping Zhao. Attendees also included partners Wenkui Song, Yunfei Xu, Pengli Zhao, and Wanyu Xu. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as investment opportunities and challenges in Kazakhstan, the advantages of the AIFC platform, and cross-border investment solutions.

With the deepening implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, economic and trade cooperation between China and Kazakhstan continues to strengthen. Kazakhstan, leveraging its regional advantages, opening-up policies, and rapid development potential, has become a key investment focus in Central Asia. The Astana International Financial Centre, serving as an international financial hub in Kazakhstan, offers an independent legal system, tax incentives, and an international regulatory environment, providing foreign enterprises with an efficient investment platform.

The seminar aimed to introduce the investment environment in Kazakhstan to partners specializing in cross-border M&A at Zhonglun W&D Law Firm and explore how to effectively mitigate cross-border investment risks and optimize tax structures through the AIFC platform and OD’s professional services. Mr. Arman Batayev, shareholder and managing partner of OD, provided a detailed overview of OD’s service offerings within the AIFC, including regulatory consulting, investment fund and SPV structuring, legal support for equity investments and venture capital, bond issuance, and capital market advisory services.

The meeting facilitated extensive discussions on key investment projects in Kazakhstan, including high-value opportunities in agriculture, infrastructure, and the digital economy. Both parties expressed their commitment to leveraging the regulatory licenses and resource advantages of the AIFC to assist Chinese enterprises in capturing new cross-border investment opportunities under the Belt and Road Initiative. This seminar laid a solid foundation for future collaboration between Zhonglun W&D Law Firm and OD Consulting within the AIFC investment platform.

This exchange not only marks a promising start for bilateral cooperation but also represents a significant step toward elevating investment collaboration between China and Kazakhstan to new heights. Moving forward, both parties will build on this meeting to deepen communication, leverage their respective strengths, and promote the implementation of more high-quality projects. Together, both sides will write a new chapter of win-win investment cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, injecting sustained vitality into regional economic development.