Setting Sail for A New Journey: AIX Officially Opened

At the 20th anniversary of the capital relocation of Kazakhstan on July 5, 2018, the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) was officially opened. As an important part of the opening ceremony, an opening activity was also held for the Astana International Exchange (AIX), which was built with the participation of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE).

Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev attended the AIFC's opening ceremony and made a speech. He stressed that the AIX, a key financial facility of the AFIC, was also opened on that day. The AIFC Chairman Klimbertov also delivered a speech by introducing the preparation for and the future prospects of the AIFC.

Pan Xuexian, Chair of the SSE Supervisory Board, was present and delivered a congratulatory speech. He first congratulated the AIX for its opening and thanked all that have worked hard for it. "The SSE will join hands with the AIX to serve the development of the capital markets of the two countries," said Pan, expressing his best wishes to the future development of the AIX. The SSE signed a cooperation agreement on jointly investing in building the AIX with the AIFC Authority in Astana in May 2017. According to the agreement, the SSE, as a strategic partner of the AIFC Authority, holds 25.1% shares of the AIX. After signing of the agreement, the two sides have carried out all-round cooperation in personnel exchange, technical consultations, business plan and marketing, and the SSE has sent relevant personnel to Astana for the preparation of the AIX. In addition, the SSE has assisted the AIFC Authority in organizing two large promotional activities in Shanghai with the participation of 500 person-times in total.

Kazakhstan is the first station of the China - Central Asia - West Asia Economic Corridor, i.e., the New Eurasian Land Bridge Economic Corridor among the six economic corridors under the Belt and Road Initiative, and also the place where General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the idea of building the "Silk Road Economic Belt". It is where the Belt and Road Initiative cooperation begins. The SSE will make full use of its advantages to support the development of the AIX and serve the Belt and Road Initiative. Next, it will continue to explore the ways of serving the Belt and Road Initiative under the guidance of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, and based on its own features, open up new modes for the capital markets to serve the Belt and Road Initiative, thus supporting the Belt and Road Initiative in an all-round way and in diversified areas.