Kazakhstan and China Plan Cross-Border Driverless Truck Trials

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.

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 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.