Trust and respect hearts of China-Kazakhstan ties: Kazakh expert

China-Kazakhstan relations are not just about trade, but also about mutual respect, deep trust, and symbolic cultural ties that elevate the partnership into a joint pursuit of regional stability and shared development, said a Kazakh expert.

Azamat Baigaliyev, Director of the Institute of Eurasian Integration in Kazakhstan, made the remarks in a special program "China and Central Asia: Together for A Shared Future" co-produced by CGTN and Kazakhstan's Silk Way TV on Saturday ahead of the second China-Central Asia Summit in the Kazakh capital Astana.

"The main thing related with the Kazakhstan and China relationship is the mutual respect. It's a great potential for our economy because we all Central Asian countries, we need the strong guarantees from our great neighbors that it will be a really safe region for the development. Right now, China is the most stable and predictable country in the world. So right now it's not only about choice, it's about comfortable relationships between our countries. That's why it probably is developing so fast right now," he said.

Kazakhstan reached a bilateral trade volume of 43.8 billion U.S. dollars with China in 2024, Baigaliyev said, urging "really strong partnership and really strong agreement with China to develop this partnership."

"It's not just about money, it's also about trust, it's also about symbolic cultural decisions, it's also about investments. Not only investments in infrastructure and energy, and also investments in tourism, investments in the cultural relationships between our nations and also in the social development," the expert noted.

The second China-Central Asia Summit is being held from June 16 to 18 in Astana.

Trust and respect hearts of China-Kazakhstan ties: Kazakh expert

The Republic of Korea (ROK) is seeing a surge in demand for plastic trash bags as concerns over potential disruptions to petrochemical supplies from the ongoing Middle East conflict prompt consumers to stockpile.

In ROK, residents are required to use government-designated bags to dispose of household waste. Without them, garbage won’t be collected, making them an essential part of daily life.

The surge in demand reflects fears that the Middle East conflict, which has disrupted oil flows and heightened uncertainty in global petrochemical markets, could choke supplies of naphtha, the raw material for South Korea’s garbage bags.

The government is now regulating naphtha exports to help ensure a stable domestic supply.

Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Kim Sung-whan has also assured the public that there are enough standard garbage bags in stock and that there is no need to stockpile or worry about price hikes. Despite such reassurances, many people are still buying ahead.

Sales of garbage bags in Seoul supermarkets have surged in recent weeks, with some stores now limiting how many each person can buy.

"It's inconvenient because they're unavailable. It's frustrating. We need them, but the stores don't have enough. What are we supposed to do?" said Han, a shopper.

"With garbage bags and plastic goods, there are a lot of difficulties right now because of raw material shortages. I just hope this conflict ends soon," said Kim Man-seok, another shopper.

Experts say it is the fear of disruption, not the disruption itself, that is changing how people behave.

ROK sees panic buying of trash bags as Middle East conflict stirs supply fears