On July 29, 2026, a special forum focusing on economic, trade and legal issues was held between the delegation of Ningbo Council for the Promotion of International Trade (Ningbo CCPIT) and the Almaty Bar Association in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Led and organized by FOTIMA GROUP, this dialogue platform facilitated in-depth consultations on legal protection for Chinese-funded enterprises investing and operating in Central Asia, mediation of cross-border commercial disputes, and long-term economic and trade cooperation mechanisms between Ningbo and Kazakhstan.
During the forum, both sides held extensive exchanges on practical issues including investment of Ningbo manufacturing enterprises in Kazakhstan, performance of cross-border contracts, corporate bankruptcy liquidation, resolution of foreign-related disputes, and localized compliance operation. The Almaty Bar Association introduced Kazakhstan’s local commercial legal system, foreign investment access policies and dispute resolution channels. The Ningbo CCPIT delegation presented Ningbo’s strengths in export-oriented industries, the foreign-related mediation mechanism of CCPIT, and cross-border legal service resources.
Xia Qun, Vice Chairperson of Ningbo CCPIT, delivered a speech at the meeting. She pointed out that Ningbo boasts developed foreign trade and manufacturing industrial clusters, and an increasing number of local enterprises regard Central Asia as a key destination for overseas expansion. Foreign-related legal risks and commercial disputes stand out as prominent pain points for enterprises conducting cross-border operations. She expressed the hope that this forum will serve as a starting point to establish regular communication channels between Ningbo’s legal service resources and the local legal community in Almaty. Through diversified services such as mediation, legal consultation and compliance guidance, solid legal safeguards will be built for Ningbo enterprises developing businesses in Central Asia, continuously expanding the two-way economic and trade links between Ningbo and Kazakhstan.
Lu Yizhen, CEO of FOTIMA GROUP, attended the forum. She stated that FOTIMA has long been rooted in Almaty, continuously building an integrated service platform connecting Chinese enterprises with the Central Asian market. Cross-border legal guarantee serves as the core foundation for enterprises to achieve sustainable overseas layout. Facilitating this direct dialogue between Ningbo CCPIT and the Almaty Bar Association marks a vital step in improving localized supporting services in Central Asia. Going forward, FOTIMA will continue to act as a liaison, linking legal institutions, government and enterprise resources from both regions. It will provide all-round support including market matching, compliance consultation and commercial dispute coordination for domestic enterprises expanding into Central Asia, helping more Ningbo enterprises explore the Central Asian market safely and steadily.
All parties reached preliminary consensus on cooperation. They agreed to establish a regular online communication mechanism, organize exchanges and seminars on foreign-related legal practices, jointly launch compliance training for overseas enterprises, smooth the channel for commercial legal services between China and Kazakhstan, and empower pragmatic economic and trade cooperation between Ningbo and Kazakhstan under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
