This research note describes how the Khorgos International Center for Border Cooperation（hereinafter ICBC） has affected the residents of Zharkent city（Kazakhstan） based on the interviews that we have acquired during our fieldwork conducted in September 2024. The Khorgos ICBC is a joint project of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People’s Republic of China implemented within the framework of the Nurly Zhol1） economic policy and the Silk Road Economic Belt2） strategy. The Khorgos ICBC was created as a new format of cross-border cooperation. This cross-border cooperation led to the exchange of goods and flow of people from both （Kazakh and Chinese） sides. We conducted fieldwork and interviews with the local residents in Zharkent, a small city located 350 kilometers from Almaty and only 20 kilometers from Khorgos border. The findings of this fieldwork indicate that（1） the Khorgos ICBC has a substantial impact on the lives of the local population, and （2） the impact is seen throughout the economic, cultural, and social lives of the local residents.
Lyailya Nurgaliyeva (Tue,) studied this question.