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The Development Report of Kazakhstan（2021） was authored by the experts and scholars in the Institute of Central Asia Studies of Northwest University，the Institute of Silk Road Studies of Northwest University and the Institute of Kazakhstan Studies of Northwest University. This report is composed of the general report，the topical reports，the special topics，China-kazakhstan relations part and the appendix. It systematically clarifies the situation of Kazakhstan’s politics，economy，society and diplomacy in 2020，and also aggregates Kazakhstan’s important news in 2020.

On the social level，impacted by the COVID-19，2020 was a really difficult year for Kazakhstan. A plenty of intended work was forced to suspended and the development process of the country is thus hindered. In order to fight against the pandemic，Kazakhstan adopted some strict quarantine management methods，which controlled the spread of the pandemic on one hand，nevertheless caused damage to the economy and society on the other hand. Kazakhstan was aware that it is nearly impossible to defeat the pandemic on its own，so it not only coordinated with its neighboring countries，but also on cooperated with the countries that developed great medical and health services，especially Russia，China and the USA，seeking for assistance and support from the major powers.

From the political perspective，in addition to leading the way fighting the pandemic，the president Tokayev made great efforts to build a “listening state”，strengthen national quality，implement gradual political reforms，establish a new national managing（governing）system and carry out administration reforms. The most influential policies include：amending the law regarding parties and elections，adjusting the administrative institute structuring，creating the Agency for Strategic Planing and Reform，the Competition Protection and Development Agency and the Supreme Council for Reforms，which report directly to the president，implementing the Language Policy for 2020-2025 to raise the national status of the Kazakh language，developing e-government and setting up a unified “government serves business” window on the website，laying off redundant employees，projecting a 25% reduction of national public servants for saving financial funds and meanwhile increasing the proportion of young people and female.

In the terms of economy，Kazakhstan fell into a harsh circumstance in 2020 resulting from a couple of factors such as the COVID-19，the sharp drop of external demand and the dramatic plunge of global crude oil prices. In order to stabilize the economy，Kazakhstan issued an anti-crisis measures package，raising 4.4 trillion tenge（about $10 billion dollars）for stimulating the business operation and maintaining the price stability. Its major methods include：ensuring people’s livelihood，endeavoring to bail out enterprises，controlling the currency exchange and thus stabilizing the exchange rate as far as possible，retaining the oil and gas exploitation to keep the prices from declining，paying attention to bond market on guard against corporation capital chain’s breaking and banking crisis，implementing programs of industrial and infrastructural construction to stimulate production and increase employment.

As for diplomacy，according to the situation change at home and aboard，Kazakhstan issued the Concept of Foreign Policy for 2020-2030 in March 2020，a fundamental policy document guiding the diplomatic work in the next ten years. In 2020，the relationship between Kazakhstan and Russia kept strengthening，the relationship between Kazakhstan and China continued consolidating，and the relationship between Kazakhstan and the European Union also develops well. At the beginning of February 2020，during his visit to Central Asia，the US Secretary of State Pompeo announced America’s new edition of “Central Asia strategy”. It was in Kazakhstan that America chose to release this strategy，suggesting that America attached great importance to Kazakhstan. Nevertheless，during their cooperation，America hoped Kazakhstan to be at the forefront of “anti-China”，making Kazakhstan in a dilemma.

In the aspect of national security，during the pandemic in 2020，the domestic security situation in Kazakhstan was really severe. The threats from terrorism and extremism were surging instead of subsiding. Cyberspace security problems occurred frequently. New changes arose in multinational organized crimes. Additionally，bio-safety threats were on the rise. Kazakhstan adopted a series of solutions for the relatively serious security problems to ensure the national security.