Xi's Kazakhstan trip cements broader B&R, SCO cooperation

President Xi Jinping, other leaders and guests attend the opening ceremony of the Expo 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 9, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev warmly welcomed Xi for his third visit to the Central Asian country, saying his visit, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Kazakhstan, will greatly facilitate the development of their comprehensive strategic partnership.

Noting that the political mutual trust has reached an unprecedented height, Xi said China is willing to build "a stronger community of shared interests and shared future" with Kazakhstan, and hopes the two countries can be "good neighbors, friends and partners forever."

China ranks among Kazakhstan's top trading partners and investors. Chinese investment in Kazakhstan amounted to over $42.8 billion, while two-way trade of the first four months of 2017 surged by 45.6 percent.

During their talks on Thursday, Xi and Nazarbayev agreed to further integrate the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Kazakhstan's development strategy of "Nurly Zhol," or "Bright Path" in the Kazakh language.

To showcase the Belt and Road cooperation achievements between the two countries, the two heads of state inspected via videolink the logistic center in China's eastern city of Lianyungang and a dry port in Horgos, a city of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region bordering Kazakhstan. Both cities are key hubs of the Europe-bound China Railway Express and the New Eurasian Land Bridge.

During their talks, Xi and Nazarbayev agreed that the two countries will focus on aligning the New Eurasian Land Bridge and the construction of an economic corridor linking China, Central Asia and West Asia, with the Kazakh strategy of building an international logistics corridor.

They will also join efforts in connecting the international production capacity cooperation with Kazakhstan's push for industrialization, sharing China's transportation advantages on land and by sea with the world's biggest landlocked country, and linking China's "digital Silk Road" initiative with the "digital Kazakhstan" strategy.

Accompanied by Nazarbayev, Xi visited the China Pavilion at the Expo 2017 Astana, which bears the theme "future energy," on Thursday afternoon.

Xi's presence at the opening ceremony of the Expo demonstrated China's full support to Kazakhstan, according to Li.

In a move to further expand China-Kazakhstan people-to-people and cultural exchanges, a movie telling the life story of the late Chinese composer Xian Xinghai in Kazakhstan in 1940s, which was inspired by Xi's speech, started shooting here on Thursday.