Xi's landmark visit to boost China-Kazakhstan relations

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Xi's landmark visit to boost China-Kazakhstan relations

(Xinhua) 09:19, September 08, 2013

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ALMATY, Sept. 7 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Kazakhstan is a milestone in the two countries' interaction bound to inject new momentum into bilateral cooperation, says Chinese Ambassador Le Yucheng.

In an interview with Xinhua ahead of the trip, Le said Xi and his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, would exchange views on bilateral relations as well as major global and regional issues of common concern.

The Chinese president would also deliver an important speech on China-Kazakhstan relations and China's Central Asia policy, he said.

The two sides, he added, would also ink a series of cooperation agreements and lay out a comprehensive blueprint for the future development of bilateral ties.

He hailed the development of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan, established 21 years ago, as "close, stable, rapid and solid," saying that the two countries also have great potential for future cooperation.

Le noted that China and Kazakhstan, sharing a border of more than 1,700 km, have maintained frequent people-to-people exchanges as well as high-level ones, which have played a significant role in the development of bilateral relations.

Four Confucius Institutes have been set up in Kazakhstan, and more than 8,000 Kazakh students are currently studying in China. Additionally, the two sides have established nine pairs of sister cities.

In the past two decades, bilateral relations have been developing steadily, with the two countries upgrading their relations in 2011 to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Bilateral trade surpassed 25 billion U.S. dollars last year and is expected to reach 30 billion this year, over 70 times the amount of 21 years ago, Le said, adding that the two leaders have set up the goal of bringing the volume to 40 billion in 2015.

In addition, he said the two countries have finished the construction of 2,800 km of China-Kazakhstan crude oil pipeline and more than 1,000 km of the Kazakh section of China-Central Asia gas pipeline.

Moreover, China and Kazakhstan have also carried out comprehensive cooperation in such fields as infrastructure, transportation, agriculture and electricity, Le said.

The practical cooperation between the two neighbors in various fields has brought substantial benefits to the two countries and the two peoples, he added.