Kazakh President Tokayev: Kazakhstan-China cooperation is a model for relations between countries Kazakhstan | Xi Jinping | Tokayev

President Xi Jinping will attend the 24th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana and pay a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of President Tokayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This is President Xi Jinping's fifth visit to Kazakhstan. In an interview with our reporter recently, Tokayev said that at present, Kazakhstan and China have carried out dynamic cooperation and close and effective interaction in all fields. It is in the fundamental interests of the people of the two countries and conducive to regional peace and stability for Kazakhstan to further strengthen its friendship and good-neighborly relations with China.

"In September 2022, President Xi Jinping chose Kazakhstan as the first stop of his first overseas visit after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since last year, I have visited China three times. The regular friendly exchanges between us have laid a solid foundation for the development of bilateral relations, and our bilateral relations have entered another 'golden thirty years'." Tokayev said that the meetings with his old friend President Xi Jinping were always "very warm". "We discussed hot issues and exchanged views on international affairs in an atmosphere of openness and trust. Such regular exchanges allow us to fully understand each other, which is very important for strengthening the bonds of friendship between the two countries."

China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors, good friends and good partners who are connected by mountains and rivers and depend on each other. In September 2019, the two sides announced the development of a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. In September 2022, the two sides announced that they would work towards the vision and goal of building a China-Kazakhstan community with a shared future with everlasting friendship, high mutual trust and shared weal and woe. Tokayev said that China is Kazakhstan's largest trading partner. In 2023, bilateral trade volume increased by 30% to US$41 billion, a record high. The two sides have successfully implemented dozens of major priority projects in the fields of oil, natural gas, chemicals, metallurgy, agriculture, mining and other fields. The two countries have similar positions on many global and regional issues and maintain close cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, and the China-Central Asia Mechanism. Tokayev emphasized: "Kazakhstan-China cooperation is a model for relations between countries."

Kazakhstan is the first place to propose the Belt and Road Initiative. "Kazakhstan is located at the intersection of the Eurasian continent. We have long recognized the importance of reviving the ancient Silk Road, so Kazakhstan took the lead and fully supported this ambitious and promising initiative." Tokayev said that in recent years, under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, large-scale infrastructure projects such as the China-Kazakhstan Logistics Cooperation Base, the "Khorgos-Eastern Gate" dry port, the Aktau Port on the Caspian Sea coast, the "Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran" new railway corridor, the "Western China-Western Europe" international transport corridor and the Xi'an Port in Kazakhstan have been put into operation, and Kazakhstan's strategic position as a regional transportation and logistics hub has become more prominent.

In recent years, China and Kazakhstan have achieved fruitful results in cooperation in the fields of education, culture, tourism, science and technology. "In February this year, I visited the first Luban workshop in Kazakhstan, which was jointly built by Tianjin Vocational University and East Kazakhstan Technical University. This modern laboratory, which aims to help Kazakhstan cultivate high-quality technical and engineering talents, left a deep impression on me. I am very much looking forward to building more such workshops in Kazakhstan," Tokayev said.

In March this year, President Xi Jinping and President Tokayev sent congratulatory letters to the opening ceremony of the 2024 China "Kazakhstan Tourism Year". "We will hold tourism promotion activities in many places in China, which will help the Chinese people to further understand Kazakhstan's colorful culture, traditions and artistic achievements." Tokayev said that the establishment of cultural centers between Kazakhstan and China will further promote the development of bilateral relations. Closer cultural cooperation between the two countries will build a more solid bridge for deepening people-to-people friendship.

Last May, the first China-Central Asia Summit was successfully held in Xi'an. Tokayev said that in recent years, the economic and trade cooperation between Central Asian countries and China has developed rapidly. In 2023 alone, the trade volume between Central Asian countries and China was close to US$90 billion. "During the summit, the heads of state of the six countries put forward constructive suggestions on strengthening the construction of the China-Central Asia mechanism and promoting practical cooperation. This mechanism has great development potential and will open up new prospects for economic and trade exchanges and cultural exchanges between Central Asian countries and China."

Over the years, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has continued to grow under the guidance of the "Shanghai Spirit" and its international influence has continued to increase. This year, Kazakhstan serves as the rotating chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. "I have personally witnessed the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and participated in the negotiations and the drafting of the first batch of documents. After more than 20 years of development, more and more countries have joined the 'SCO family'. During this year's Astana Summit, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will welcome its tenth member state." Tokayev said that the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is conducive to promoting stability and prosperity in the region and the world. As one of the founding members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and an active supporter of multilateral dialogue, Kazakhstan regards the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a priority in its foreign policy.

Tokayev introduced that during its term as the rotating chair of the SCO, Kazakhstan has set a series of topics to promote common security, promote economic and trade cooperation, strengthen environmental protection, and deepen people-to-people friendship. The "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Initiative on the Unity of All Countries to Build a Just and Harmonious World" proposed by Kazakhstan has been appreciated and supported by member states. Tokayev said that we call for strengthening global dialogue, innovating security models, creating a fair economic environment, and working hard to protect the ecological environment. "We hope that the results of the summit will fully reflect the 'Shanghai Spirit' of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and pursuit of common development."

Tokayev said that President Xi Jinping proposed the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind and three major global initiatives. These important concepts and initiatives support the core position of the United Nations in international affairs and call on all countries to work together to achieve common goals and benefit human society. "These initiatives are also consistent with the priority development direction of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, embody the principles of openness, inclusiveness, multilateral cooperation, and respect for the national conditions of all countries, and demonstrate China's firm determination to explore solutions to global problems through mutual cooperation and understanding and its position as a responsible major country."

Tokayev is looking forward to President Xi Jinping's state visit and the SCO Astana Summit. He said the SCO has broad prospects for development. Kazakhstan and China will strengthen multi-level cooperation and make greater contributions to the development and growth of the SCO.