China ready to boost practical cooperation with Kazakhstan: premier

ASTANA, Dec. 14 -- China is willing to tap complementary economic advantages, strengthen traditional ties and expand cooperation in non-energy fields with Kazakhstan based on high-level mutual political trust, visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Sunday.

Li made the remarks as he held talks with his Kazakh counterpart Karim Masimov during the second regular meeting between the heads of government of the two nations.

Congratulating Kazakhstan on its upcoming 23th Independence Day, Li said China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors to each other.

The two sides always respect and equally treat each other, and the China-Kazakh comprehensive strategic partnership remains at high level, he added.

China stands ready to work with Kazakhstan to create new bright spots in cooperation and build new engines of common development, push the upgrading and updating of bilateral practical cooperation, so as to benefit the two peoples and promote regional peace and stability, the premier said.

Li said that both sides should further optimize the structure of bilateral trade and two-way investment and China supports its competitive enterprises to invest in Kazakhstan.

He also hoped that the two countries should continue to deepen energy cooperation, advance China-Kazakhstan gas pipeline construction, implement the memorandum of understanding between the two sides on nuclear industry cooperation, and explore interaction opportunities in photovoltaic field and coal chemical industry.

China's opening to the west is conducive to the development of Kazakhstan, said Li, calling on both sides to greatly promote interconnectivity, push forward cooperation in such areas as logistics, transportation and communication, and facilitate trade and personnel exchanges.

The Chinese premier urged the two nations to strengthen local cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, establish cultural centers in the other country and consolidate public support for bilateral ties.

Meanwhile, Li said that China will conduct friendly cooperation with Kazakhstan on utilization and exploration of the cross-border water resources based on the principle of mutual benefit and win-win results.

As for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Li said China is willing to beef up communication and coordination within the SCO framework and push forward the SCO for more cooperative fruits.

For his part, Masimov said maintaining good-neighboring friendship with China is Kazakhstan's diplomatic priority.

Kazakhstan will work with China to explore the role of such bilateral mechanisms as the regular meeting between the China-Kazakhstan heads of government, carry out consensuses reached by leaders of the two nations, and expand cooperation in fields like trade, investment, oil and gas, nuclear and clean energy, among others, he added.

He vowed to continue Kazakhstan's interaction with China on the cross-border water resources issue.

"Kazakhstan attches great importance to and will actively participate in the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, stands ready to strengthen coordination within the SCO framework with China, and promotes regional and each other's development," Masimov said.

Li arrived here earlier Sunday to pay an official visit to Kazakhstan and attend the 13th prime ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

After Kazakhstan, Li will travel to Serbia to attend the third leaders' meeting of China and Central and Eastern European countries and pay an official visit to the country.

In Thailand, the final leg of his tour, Li will attend the fifth summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation.

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