Interview
ASTANA – The upcoming meeting between the heads of state of Kazakhstan and China will benefit people of the two countries, and the agreements to be reached will open a new chapter in the Kazakhstan-China permanent comprehensive strategic partnership, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has said.
President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Kazakhstan and attend the 24th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) later this week.
“We look forward to President Xi’s visit and believe it will inject powerful impetus into the development momentum of bilateral ties,” Tokayev has said in a recent exclusive written interview with Xinhua.
The Kazakhstan-China relationship is built upon strong bonds of solid friendship and good neighborliness, said the Kazakh president, noting that bilateral cooperation embarked on a new “golden 30 years” during Xi’s visit to Kazakhstan in September 2022.
“I cherish those warm memories of our meetings with esteemed President Xi, where we discussed current issues and prospects for strengthening our permanent comprehensive strategic partnership in an open and trusting atmosphere,” he said.
Frequent high-level exchanges have further strengthened bilateral ties between Kazakhstan and China, he said.
Over the past year alone, a number of important agreements have been sealed, including the implementation of a mutual visa-free policy, the construction of a third railway checkpoint, the establishment of cultural centers, and the announcement of 2024 as the “Kazakhstan Tourism Year” in China, noted Tokayev.
“As an outstanding leader and a wise statesman, President Xi will lead China to achieve tremendous growth and significantly strengthen China’s global influence with his foresight,” he said.
Citing the Kazakh saying “Just as a river needs its bed, people rely on leaders,” Tokayev said he believes that China is continuously marching towards the grand goal of realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation under the wise guidance of its leader.
Recalling his eight-year stay in China, the Kazakh leader said he still has vivid memories from his time in Beijing as a foreign student and later as a diplomat at the beginning of his career, which is connected to China.
“During my experience in China, I delved deeply into the Chinese culture, history, language and customs, and discovered the richness and diversity of the Chinese cuisine,” he said, adding that he now reads books in Chinese regularly and stays informed about Chinese political and socio-economic development.
Kazakhstan and China have established close interaction within international frameworks including the United Nations, the SCO, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, and the China-Central Asia mechanism, Tokayev pointed out.
“We share similar positions with China on many pressing global and regional issues, and Kazakhstan fully supports the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and stands ready to actively participate in the ongoing integration of our national development strategies,” he said.
The Kazakh president called for promoting cooperation in five key areas, namely deepening investment cooperation, increasing bilateral trade turnover, strengthening Belt and Road (B&R) cooperation, expanding transport cooperation, and fostering cultural and people-to-people interaction.
In particular, he emphasized the significance of cultural and people-to-people communications between the two countries, as the opening ceremony of the “Kazakhstan Tourism Year” in China was held in March in Beijing.
More than 35 events are expected to be held across China to celebrate the “Kazakhstan Tourism Year,” aiming to promote Kazakh tourism, culture, and traditional customs, he said.
“Cultural and people-to-people cooperation plays an important role in strengthening bilateral ties and fostering friendship between the peoples of our countries,” he added.
In a world of profound transformation, heightened instability and growing conflicts, humanity needs to develop consolidated and effective solutions to ensure global security and foster economic growth, said Tokayev.
“In this context, Kazakhstan highly values President Xi’s vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, which is gaining new relevance in the current international landscape and contributing to the formation of an equal and multipolar world,” he said.
“The China-proposed Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative will make great contributions to ensuring global security and the implementation of the sustainable development goals,” he added.
Speaking of Kazakhstan’s rotating chairmanship of the SCO, Tokayev vowed to make an effort to develop common approaches to solving security problems, strengthen trade and economic cooperation, promote environmental protection, and consolidate friendship between member countries.
He also said his nation aims to further strengthen the organization’s international influence by expanding its contacts with major international and regional organizations.
He expected that the summit’s outcome will fully reflect the Shanghai Spirit, which features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and the pursuit of common development.
“The Shanghai Spirit is congruent with the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, as they both promote sustainable development, common prosperity, openness and inclusiveness,” he said, noting that these concepts should be recognized as the norm in international relations. – Xinhua
Pedestrians walk near a brightly illuminated art installation in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Sunday. – Xinhua
