Based on recent developments, including the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Shanghai, Kazakhstan and China's agreement to expand bilateral flight services, and Kazakhstan's 24th-place ranking in the 2026 KidsRights Index, Qazinform News Agency presents its weekly review of foreign media coverage.
Xinhua: Xi meets Kazakh President in Shanghai
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Shanghai on Thursday, where the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation, Xinhua reports.
Tokayev was visiting China to attend the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance.
Xi said the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership continues to gain momentum and called for closer coordination of development strategies. He urged stronger cooperation in trade, cross-border e-commerce, energy, transport and artificial intelligence, saying China is ready to share digital and AI technologies to support Kazakhstan's digital transformation.
Tokayev described China as Kazakhstan's top foreign policy priority and said Astana seeks to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, transport, energy, agriculture and the digital economy. He also expressed Kazakhstan's readiness to work closely with China on global AI governance and within multilateral organizations.
Following the talks, the two presidents oversaw the signing of cooperation agreements covering trade, transport, finance and media.
The Times of Central Asia: Kazakhstan leads Central Asia with 24th place in KidsRights Index
Kazakhstan ranked 24th out of 194 countries in the 2026 KidsRights Index, making it the only country from Eastern Europe and Central Asia to place in the global top 25, The Times of Central Asia reports.
Published annually by the Amsterdam-based KidsRights Foundation in partnership with Erasmus University Rotterdam, the index assesses how countries uphold children's rights using United Nations data.
Kazakhstan earned an overall score of 0.797, with its strongest results in protection (0.944) and health (0.900). It also scored 0.847 for life, 0.765 for education, and 0.583 for the enabling environment for children's rights.
The report said conflict-related sexual violence against children rose by 35% from 2024, while more than one in five children now live within range of armed conflict. It also noted that, for the first time, overweight and obesity among children aged 5 to 19 now exceed underweight globally.
Luxembourg topped the 2026 ranking, followed by Iceland and Monaco.
Aviation Week: Kazakhstan, China raise flight limits as market expands
According to Aviation Week, Kazakhstan and China have agreed to increase the number of scheduled passenger flights between the two countries by more than 20%, allowing up to 152 weekly services, up from 124.
Following talks in Beijing, the two sides also expanded the list of Chinese destinations available to airlines serving Kazakhstan from 10 to 11 cities by adding Chongqing.
"In addition, the parties discussed the launch of direct flights between Astana and Shanghai, including services operated by Chinese airlines, as well as the establishment of a third international air corridor between Kazakhstan and China," Kazakhstan's Aviation Administration said.
The agency added that the new corridor "is expected to increase airspace capacity, optimize flight routes, reduce congestion on existing airways and create additional opportunities for the further expansion of air connectivity between the two countries."
The agreement comes as air travel between Kazakhstan and China continues to grow rapidly, with airlines significantly expanding capacity over the past three years.
The Times of Central Asia: Digital tenge receives official legal status in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan's digital tenge officially became a recognized digital form of the national currency on July 18, following legislative amendments that give the National Bank exclusive authority to issue and manage the central bank digital currency (CBDC), The Times of Central Asia reports.
Unlike many CBDC projects that remain in the pilot phase, Kazakhstan has moved into practical implementation. The digital tenge is designed to improve transparency in public spending, procurement and budget oversight rather than replace cash or bank cards.
By early 2026, about 336.6 billion tenge ($640 million) had been issued, with the currency used in more than 100 pilot projects covering public procurement, tax administration, government subsidies and infrastructure financing.
Programmable payments allow authorities to track public funds in near real time and restrict spending based on predefined conditions.
The International Monetary Fund says the project's next stage will depend on stronger regulation, cybersecurity and integration into Kazakhstan's broader financial system.
Fresh Plaza: Kazakhstan increases watermelon imports while melon purchases decline
According to Fresh Plaza, Kazakhstan imported 3,100 tonnes of watermelons in January-April 2026, up 31.3% compared with the same period of 2025. The value of imports reached $1.1 million.
Iran remained the largest supplier with 2,000 tonnes, although shipments declined by 2.4% year on year. Imports from China increased fivefold to 1,100 tonnes. Kazakhstan also imported smaller volumes from Costa Rica, Brazil, Thailand, the Netherlands and Spain.
Watermelon exports remained limited but increased sharply. During the first four months of 2026, Kazakhstan exported 25.9 tonnes, up 17.2 times from 1.5 tonnes a year earlier. The shipments, valued at $6,000, were sent entirely to Tajikistan.
In contrast, melon imports fell by half to 1,100 tonnes, valued at $456,700.
China supplied 1,000 tonnes of melons, down twofold from a year earlier. Imports from Iran totalled 29 tonnes, a decline of 21.5%, while shipments from Uzbekistan fell 3.5 times to 13.3 tonnes. Kazakhstan also imported 50 kg from the Netherlands and 25 kg from Spain. Melon exports decreased 3.1 times to 7.3 tonnes, worth $1,600. All exported melons were shipped to Tajikistan.
You can read last week’s digest here.