The purpose of the article is to analyze the results of current theoretical and empirical studies of the socio-institutional environment of Russian and Chinese direct investments in Kazakhstan. One of the features of foreign direct investment is the fact that foreign investor companies are always forced to adapt as effectively as possible to the socio-institutional environment of the country where they invest funds. Foreign direct investment is an important factor in the modernization of production and economic development, can contribute to the growth of employment and income of the population. In fact, they show how much foreign investors trust the economy of a particular country, and for Kazakhstan it is also an important indicator of the role of Russia and China in its modern economic development. The results of modern investment research allow us to conclude that there is increasing competition between Russia and China in the promotion and implementation of investment projects in Central Asia and Kazakhstan. However, the success of these projects depends not only on the effectiveness of the efforts of governments and corporations aimed at promoting them in the region as a whole, but also on how these investments are perceived by the Kazakh society. The article analyzes the different points of view of modern Kazakh, Russian, Chinese and Western researchers analyzing the specifics of the relationship between society and business with the state in the globalizing economy of Kazakhstan, economic and historical factors, socio-institutional aspects of reducing compliance risks and features of labor organization that determine the stability and sustainability of economic development