Prospects of the Khorgos Free Economic Zone

The territory of the post-Soviet republics of the Central Asian region is the easiest and often the only economically viable way to connect suppliers and consumers in China and Europe by land routes. Simultaneously, Khorgos is the central gate, in the vicinity of which the multidirectional flows of goods physically meet and cross the borders of China and the outside world. The development of multimodal transport corridors is also beneficial for the Republic of Kazakhstan because it helps attract investment, develop infrastructure, and create new jobs. A unique international center for cross-border cooperation has been created in Khorgos, where sellers and buyers from China and Central Asian countries can conduct transactions through direct personal communication without special consular permits to visit a neighboring state. This research aims to present the background results on creating the Khorgos Free Economic Zone and analyze its economic development status, including a synthesis analysis that helps to highlight the risks and prospects for the development of this zone. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.