China's top legislator Zhao Leji has called for advancing high-quality cooperation with Kazakhstan under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during his official goodwill visit to the country from Monday to Wednesday.
Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, is paying the visit at the invitation of Yerlan Koshanov, speaker of the Mazhilis, or the lower house of Kazakhstan's parliament.
Zhao met with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and held talks with chairperson of the Senate of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev and Koshanov, respectively, in Astana.
When meeting with Tokayev, Zhao first conveyed President Xi Jinping's cordial regards and best wishes.
Noting that China-Kazakhstan relations have achieved great leaps forward to the level of permanent comprehensive strategic partnership, Zhao said that China is willing to work with Kazakhstan to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, and deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
He called on the two sides to jointly ensure the success of China-Kazakhstan Year of Cultural Exchange to promote mutual understanding and forge closer bonds between the two peoples.
Zhao also urged the two countries to strengthen coordination and cooperation within multilateral frameworks to uphold common interests of the two countries and international fairness and justice.
Tokayev asked Zhao to convey his sincere greetings to Xi.
Noting that Xi introduced the "Silk Road Economic Belt" concept during his visit to Kazakhstan in 2013, Tokayev said the BRI cooperation between the two countries has yielded fruitful outcomes. The two countries enjoy strong economic complementarity and enormous cooperation potential, he added.
Kazakhstan is firmly committed to the one-China principle, supports the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity and major global initiatives on development, security, civilization and governance proposed by Xi, said Tokayev, adding that Kazakhstan appreciates China's role in actively leading the global governance and making important contributions to world peace and stability.
After the meeting, Zhao received the first class Order of Friendship conferred by Tokayev.
During the separate talks with Ashimbayev and Koshanov, Zhao said the legislative bodies of the two countries should fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, maintain close interactions at various levels, and provide legal support for bilateral practical cooperation.
Zhao also introduced the outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) and the progress on the environmental code, law on national development planning and law on promoting ethnic unity and progress, calling for experience exchanges between the two legislative bodies.
Ashimbayev said China has become an important guarantee for global stability and a powerful engine for global economic growth, and Kazakhstan is willing to create favorable conditions for bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation.
The parliament of Kazakhstan is ready to strengthen cooperation with the NPC, conduct exchanges and learn from each other's legislative experience.
Koshanov said Kazakhstan firmly supports China on issues concerning Taiwan, Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Xizang.
He said the new bilateral investment protection agreement will create new opportunities for the investment cooperation between the two countries. He also expressed the willingness to strengthen friendly exchanges between the legislative bodies of the two countries to promote pragmatic cooperation in various fields.
During the visit, Zhao visited a local branch of a Chinese oil company, urging mutually beneficial cooperation for new outcomes in BRI cooperation. He also visited a Luban Workshop, stressing closer people-to-people exchanges to consolidate the public support for bilateral friendship.
Chinese top legislator stresses high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Kazakhstan
Chinese top legislator stresses high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Kazakhstan
