Abstract:

Over the last 30 years, the primary focus of China’s studies in Kazakhstan has been on the economic and political developments, international relations and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) impacts. The social and human dimension of China’s rise in Kazakhstan remain largely unstudied. Applied sociological studies are scarce and address mainly the views and attitudes of the local population (the Kazakhstanis) towards China and the Chinese. The Chinese themselves are voiceless.

To address this gap a series of applied sociological studies were conducted in Almaty at the end of 2023 – beginning of 2024, supported by the newly established charitable CAPS Unlock Foundation. The results are currently being processed and interpreted. The research employs a mixed methodology including quantitative and qualitative methods: a representative sociological survey, focus groups, expert interviews, direct observations and other methods. The survey identifies public attitudes of the urban Kazakhstani population towards China and Chinese [migrants] and compares them with two earlier national-level surveys conducted in Kazakhstan in 2007 and 2012. The results allow to track the dynamics of public perceptions, attitudes and concerns about China and Han Chinese in Kazakhstan (impact on the labor market, perspectives of migration, Sinophobia, and challenges of the bilateral relations, etc.) over the last 16 years (2007-2023).

An empirical sociological study among Han Chinese themselves exploring their views, perceptions and attitudes towards Kazakhstan and Kazakhstanis is a pioneering study. Focus group discussions with Han entrepreneurs, professionals and students were held in Almaty in December 2023 to study their interests and concerns, career and life plans, views, and attitudes towards the host country and its citizens. Lack of communication and weak collaboration between locals and Han Chinese, language and cultural differences (specifically business traditions and work ethic differences) are emerging among the causes for misunderstanding and latent distrust between Kazakhstani and Chinese citizens. This personal perspective is considered within a broader cultural, ethnosocial, economic and historical context.