On April 14, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry summoned Chinese Ambassador Zhang Xiao to express its protest over an article titled “Why Kazakhstan is striving to be a part of China again?”, which was published on a popular Chinese web-portal www.sohu.com earlier this month.
“t was explained that the publications of this nature do not correspond to the spirit of comprehensive strategic partnership reflected in the Joint Statement of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People’s Republic of China signed by the heads of state on September 11, 2019. The parties agreed to closely interact in the field of dissemination of information and the media, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry stated in a press release following the meeting with Ambassador Zhang Xiao.
Kazakhstan’s Embassy in Beijing also sent a note of protest to the Chinese Foreign Ministry over the incident.
According to an unofficial translation provided by some Kazakh media sources, the article briefly outlines the history of Kazakhstan starting from the Golden Horde period. China has been heavily investing in Kazakhstan lately with US $23 billion being pumped in the country’s economy and a number of large-scale joint projects under way. About 400,000 Chinese nationals currently live in Kazakhstan, many of them consider themselves to be descendants of the Tang Dynasty, the article claims. The author believes the former immigrants from China will be happy to be a part of the thriving People’s Republic of China again. “The only question remaining is when will the rest of Kazakhstan want to join prosperous China,” it says.
