Xi Jinping published a signed article in Kazakhstan media
On July 2, on the occasion of his state visit to Kazakhstan in Astana, President Xi Jinping published a signed article entitled "Working together to Continue to Write a New Chapter in China-Kazakhstan Relations" in the "Kazakhstan Pravda" and the Kazakh International News Agency. The full text of the article is as follows:
Working together to continue to write a new chapter in China-Kazakhstan relations
Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China
In midsummer, everything is in full bloom. In this beautiful season full of vitality, at the invitation of President Tokayev, I will soon pay a state visit to Kazakhstan and attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit. This is my fifth visit to this charming land since I became President of the People's Republic of China. I was deeply impressed by Kazakhstan's splendid and unique culture, vast and magnificent scenery, and simple and hospitable people. I look forward to experiencing firsthand the new developments and changes in Kazakhstan through this visit, discussing cooperation plans between the two countries with President Tokayev, and jointly drawing up a new blueprint for the development of China-Kazakhstan relations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
More than 2000 years ago, Zhang Qian held a ceremonial mission to the Western Regions, knocking on the door to friendly exchanges between China and Central Asia. The ancient Silk Road promoted friendly exchanges and exchanges and mutual learning between our two great nations. More than 80 years ago, two Chinese and Kazakh musicians Xian Xinghai and Baikadamov met in Almaty and forged a brotherhood that transcends national borders. 32 years ago, China became one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Kazakhstan, and relations between the two countries set sail again. The history of friendly exchanges between China and Kazakhstan has fully proved that the development of bilateral relations conforms to the historical trend and conforms to the trend of the times.
Eleven years ago, I first proposed the "Silk Road Economic Belt" initiative in Kazakhstan, which received positive responses from all walks of life in Kazakhstan. The grand picture of the two countries jointly building the "Belt and Road" has thus unfolded, and the development of China-Kazakhstan relations has entered a new stage.
We support each other and work together, opening up a new level of political mutual trust. China-Kazakhstan relations have achieved a leap from a comprehensive strategic partnership to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership, and have reached the vision of building a China-Kazakhstan community with a shared future that is friendly for generations, highly mutual trust, and shares weal and woe. The two sides have always firmly supported each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns, and have always respected each other's independently chosen development paths based on their own national conditions. In the face of disasters such as floods and epidemics, we will lend each other a helping hand and help each other vigorously, and always be a strong backing that each other can trust and rely on. This indestructible trust and support is extremely precious and has become the greatest political guarantee for China-Kazakhstan cooperation.
We have achieved mutual benefit and coordinated development, creating new achievements in practical cooperation. Last year, bilateral trade volume between China and Kazakhstan reached a record US$41 billion. China has become Kazakhstan's largest trading partner and largest export destination country. Major strategic projects such as the Zanatas Wind Power Station, Turgusun Hydropower Station, and the modernization of the Chimkent Refinery have been successfully completed and put into operation. The China-Kazakhstan crude oil pipeline and natural gas pipeline have been safely and stably operated. The "green channel" for rapid customs clearance of agricultural products has achieved full coverage. More and more Kazakhstan's high-quality green agricultural products have entered thousands of households in China. The potential for cooperation between the two countries in new energy, transportation infrastructure and other fields has been continuously released. The Xi'an Land Port Terminal has been completed and opened, and the "Shuangxi Highway" and China-Europe freight trains have been unimpeded, injecting strong momentum into the development of the two countries.
We help each other, learn from each other, and set off a new upsurge in people-to-people exchanges. China and Kazakhstan successfully signed an agreement to establish cultural centers for the first time, co-producing the film "The Musician". Chinese universities have developed people-to-people cooperation projects such as the Kazakhstan Branch, Luban Workshop, and Traditional Chinese Medicine Center from scratch and from existence to excellence. Mutual visa exemption allows the people of the two countries to come and go as often as relatives. Last year, there were nearly 600,000 personnel exchanges between the two countries, and in the first three months of this year, the number exceeded 200,000, which is expected to hit a new high. Local cooperation has flourished, with the number of friendly provinces, states and cities increasing to 26 pairs. Kapelabekov, an ophthalmologist who is widely respected and loved by Chinese patients, Ruslan, a blood donor volunteer known as "Panda Man", and Dimashi, a Kazakhstan singer who is popular all over the country, have become envoys of China-Kazakhstan friendship in the new era.
We have united and cooperated to meet challenges together and achieved new results in international cooperation. China and Kazakhstan have similar positions on international and regional affairs. They both advocate practicing a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept. They are both committed to being builders of world peace, contributors to global development, and defenders of the international order. We have jointly created the China-Central Asia mechanism, closely coordinated and cooperated within the framework of multilateral organizations such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, actively supported each other's constructive international cooperation initiatives, and resolutely defended the common strategic, security, and development interests of the two countries.
Looking to the future, China-Kazakhstan cooperation has great potential and will surely make great achievements. I hope that through this visit, I will work with President Tokayev to continue the traditional friendship, deepen all-round cooperation, make new arrangements and plans for the future of China-Kazakhstan relations, and push the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights.
The first is to consolidate the political tradition of mutual support. "When making friends, keep your word." China will continue to treat Kazakhstan with sincerity and trust, continue to consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen strategic communication, and firmly support each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns. China will, as always, support Kazakhstan in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, support Kazakhstan in pursuing a development path that suits its national conditions, support Kazakhstan's various domestic and foreign policies with a view to national development and prosperity, and oppose any external forces interfering in Kazakhstan's internal affairs. We must inherit and carry forward the four magic weapons of cooperation: mutual respect, good neighborliness and friendship, working together in the same boat, and mutual benefit and win-win results, and promote the steady and long-term development of China-Kazakhstan relations.
The second is to make good use of the magic weapon of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. China and Kazakhstan have different resource endowments, their respective economic industries have their own characteristics, obvious complementary advantages, and huge potential for cooperation. China is willing to accelerate the in-depth integration of the Belt and Road Initiative with the economic policies of "Just Kazakhstan", further open up China's ultra-large market to Kazakhstan, and share China's development opportunities. We must deepen cooperation in traditional fields such as economy, trade, production capacity, investment, energy, minerals, and agriculture, improve the efficiency of port customs clearance, promote the high-quality operation of China-Europe freight trains and the construction of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, and improve the three-dimensional, diversified and efficient interconnection pattern. Fully tap the potential for cooperation in high-tech fields such as new energy, digital economy, artificial intelligence, cross-border e-commerce, and aerospace, create a high value-added industrial chain and supply chain, and add more new momentum to cooperation between the two countries.
The third is to consolidate the public opinion foundation for generations of friendship. Deepening China-Kazakhstan friendship is the aspiration and hope of the people of the two countries. We must inherit this friendship, carry out a variety of people-to-people exchange activities, and further promote mutual understanding and mutual understanding between the two peoples. Jointly run the Luban Workshop, Confucius Institute, and Northwestern Polytechnical University's Kazakhstan Branch to cultivate more successors to the cause of China-Kazakhstan friendship. Universities, think tanks, and scientific research institutions of the two countries are welcome to carry out joint education and cooperative scientific research, support all sectors of society in the two countries to enhance exchanges, encourage more local provinces, prefectures and cities in the two countries to establish diplomatic relations, and continuously deepen cooperation in education, tourism, archeology, art, media and other fields. Expand the depth and breadth of people-to-people exchanges.
The fourth is to respond to the century-old changes that have accelerated evolution. The world situation is intertwined with turmoil, and China-Kazakhstan all-round mutually beneficial cooperation is facing new threats and challenges, as well as new opportunities and new spaces. The Chinese say that crises and opportunities always complement each other, crises are organic, and crises can turn for the better. China is willing to join hands with Kazakhstan to cope with changes in the world, the times, and history, cultivate new opportunities in crises, open up new situations in changes, and resolutely defend the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law. Practice true multilateralism, oppose hegemonism, power politics, and camp confrontation, promote equal and orderly world multipolarity and inclusive economic globalization, and inject more positive energy and stability into maintaining world peace and stability. Make more contributions from China and Kazakhstan.
Another important agenda for me in Kazakhstan this time is to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit. Since Kazakhstan assumed the rotating chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it has done a lot of fruitful work and expanded the organization's influence. China highly appreciates this. It is believed that with the joint efforts of all parties, the Astana Summit will achieve a complete success, further unite the Shanghai Cooperation Organization family and open up a new situation for organizational cooperation.
As the old Chinese saying goes,"Those who share the same desires win, and those who are in the same boat win." The Kazakh nation says,"Five fingers form a fist, and one is united." China is willing to work together and move forward side by side with Kazakhstan on the journey of realizing national prosperity and revitalization, draw a new blueprint for cooperation between the two countries, and continue to write a new chapter in China-Kazakhstan friendship.
