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Driverless trucks could eventually carry freight between Kazakhstan and China, with the two countries planning to test them on international routes. The Kazakhstan Road Research Institute (KazdorNII) and Chinese technology company China TransInfo Group signed an agreement in Astana on October 16 to develop the trials and establish a joint center for autonomous transport.
The partners plan to establish a testing ground and introduce systems that can weigh trucks while they are moving. They are also considering a joint center to coordinate transport operations and share data. KazdorNII will work to adapt the Chinese company’s technologies to Kazakhstan’s roads and technical requirements.
At the NEW SILK WAY transport forum in Astana, China TransInfo Group signed a separate memorandum with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport on cooperation in autonomous vehicle technologies.
Kazakhstan has already conducted a similar trial with Russia. In May 2026, two Russian-made KamAZ trucks traveled in opposite directions between Astana and Moscow, crossing the international border. However, only parts of the roughly 3,000-kilometer journey were completed autonomously.
Kazakhstan and China also launched the Smart Customs project at the Bakhty–Pokitu border crossing in 2025, with plans to use driverless electric shuttles to transport cargo between the two countries. The new initiative envisages testing autonomous trucks on an international road route rather than limiting their operation to border infrastructure.
Separately, Kazakhstan plans to begin producing Chinese SITRAK autonomous semi-trucks by 2028, as The Times of Central Asia previously reported.
Dmitry Pokidaev