On June 16–17, at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, paid a state visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan. On June 17, the second “Central Asia–China” summit will take place in Astana, bringing together the heads of state from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

At a ceremonial evening held as part of the summit, Kazakhstan’s People’s Artist Dimash Qudaibergen, acting as a cultural representative of the host country, performed one of the most beautiful lyrical songs from his repertoire in Chinese – “荆棘王冠” (“The Crown”).

This song is the Chinese version of “Kim Eken,” composed by Kazakh musician Ulykpan Zholdasov, and was first performed by Dimash during his solo concert in Astana in 2017.

As part of the summit’s lead-up events, Chinese broadcaster CGTN invited Dimash to participate in its special lecture series Ideas Change the World with a segment titled China–Central Asia: Cultural Dialogue, filmed at one of the leading universities in the region – Nazarbayev University.

“Dear fellow citizens of Astana and viewers of CGTN!

Today, we’re here to talk about China and Central Asia. I’m truly honored to be with you as a cultural representative. We are neighbors brought together by destiny. And my sincere wish is that all neighbors, brotherly nations, and countries of the world live in unity, peace, and prosperity.

Before my first visit to China as a young man, my understanding of Chinese culture was shaped by figures like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, and kung fu movies. But after traveling there for work and living there for a while, my perspective changed completely. I personally witnessed the hospitality, precision, and incredible work ethic of the Chinese people.

As people of Asian countries, we share many similar values and traditions, respect for elders, kindness to the younger generation, these are deeply rooted in us and bring us closer together. We also share a deep respect for knowledge, culture, and science.

In 2017, while I was in Beijing for filming and events, I received an invitation: “President Xi Jinping will visit Astana as our guest of honor.” At that time, I was asked to prepare one or two songs – one in Kazakh and one in Chinese.

Given the honor of representing our national culture and the great support I’ve received from Chinese audiences, I was happy to offer a creative gift. One of the proposed songs was “Jasmine,” a piece with a special place in Chinese culture, a song not everyone is allowed to perform. Singing it is considered a great honor, and I did my best to deliver it at the highest level.

After the performance, President Xi Jinping personally came up to me, shook my hand, thanked me, congratulated me on my achievements both in China and globally, and offered his kind words: “I always wish you success.”

Since then, he has shown great appreciation for my work. He once shared that he and his family admire my art. Of course, that’s a great responsibility.

As an artist, my contribution is through creativity. I’m always ready to perform in the name of people, in the name of cultural diplomacy. That’s why I gladly accepted the invitation from President Xi’s team to perform at a magnificent evening in the city of Xi’an.

What I remember most is that, at the time, I was living in Los Angeles. We finalized the program just days before the concert. We put a lot of thought into choosing a song that would reflect our culture and history, because the world knows us as a hospitable nation, and we strive to present our art at the highest level.

I would like to express my gratitude to President Xi Jinping for his respect toward Kazakh culture and Kazakh-language songs. Most importantly, may the friendship between our nations continue to grow strong. As a Kazakh saying goes: “Шақырып отырған шаңыраққа қарап көсіл” – ‘Settle in with respect under the roof that has invited you.’ As a sign of respect to the host nation, I performed one of the songs in Chinese.”

Editor’s Note:
In 2023, Dimash also took part in the first “Central Asia–China” summit in Xi’an, China. At the Opening Ceremony of the Year of People’s Culture and Art of China and Central Asian Countries, and the China–Central Asia Youth Arts Festival in Furong, he performed the Chinese song “万里梦同心” (“Thousands of Miles, a Common Dream”) and the Kazakh folk song “Durdaraz.”

“I truly hope the diplomatic relations between our nations continue to grow deeper and stronger. And I never miss a chance, when I’m on stage anywhere in the world, to say:

May there always be unity, harmony, and balance among all nations. Peace is the most important thing.

May not a single child cry, no matter their nationality: Georgian, Italian, French, Russian, Kazakh, American… There are no bad nations. I’ve traveled to many countries and have never believed that there are bad peoples.

We must always strive for wisdom, and look for the good in people. Let us radiate love. Let us support one another.”