13.09.2022
Xi Jinping, Chairman of the People’s Republic Of China
September 13, 2022
This golden autumn, at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev, I will be on a state visit to friendly Kazakhstan. With pleasure, after 5 years, again, for the fourth time, I will come to your country, which is famous for its endless steppe, majestic mountains and rivers, and very hospitable people. I have high hopes for the upcoming visit.
China and Kazakhstan are connected by common mountains and rivers, are good neighbors, true friends and reliable partners. Our peoples, sharing a thousand-year history of friendly contacts, are witnesses of the brilliant era of the Great Silk Road. The Tang monk Xuan Zang and the Ming envoy Chen Cheng once reached the Kazakh land, and Kazakh historical celebrities, for example, “Aristotle of the East” al-Farabi, the great poet Abai Kunanbaev, became famous in China. The peoples of our countries still keep a good memory of them.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan. Our countries have come a long way and have never departed from the principle of mutual support and assistance. Dynamically building up exchanges and cooperation, China and Kazakhstan have shown a worthy example of coexistence and development of good neighborly relations.
30 years is a period of breakthrough development of Chinese-Kazakh relations. From good neighborliness and friendship to strategic partnership, up to eternal all-round strategic partnership, our bilateral relations are making a historic breakthrough and acquiring qualitatively new, unique connotations – these are interstate relations of a new type based on mutual respect, good neighborliness and friendship, mutual assistance and gain. Our countries always mutually provide firm support on key issues related to state sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, respect each other’s development path, independently chosen in accordance with national realities, welcome the new achievements of the other side in state development and national revival. China and Kazakhstan are trusted friends and trusted partners, our peoples will always be close to each other.
30 years is a period of great harvest of bilateral cooperation. China has been positioning itself as one of the key trading partners and investors of Kazakhstan for several years in a row. Despite the unfavorable epidemiological situation, bilateral trade last year returned to pre-pandemic levels and amounted to $25 billion. This is our common contribution to the recovery of the global economy. Within the framework of cooperation in the field of production capacities and investments, a list has been compiled that includes 52 joint projects worth more than 21.2 billion US dollars. Major joint projects, including the 100 MW Zhanatas wind farm, the JAC vehicle assembly line, and the modernization of the Shymkent Oil Refinery, are effectively stimulating Kazakhstan’s social and economic growth and bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of the two countries.
30 years is a period of significant strengthening of infrastructure connectivity. A multi-vector and multi-modal infrastructure network is being successfully formed, covering road, rail, air transportation and pipelines. At present, China and Kazakhstan are actively working on the creation of a highly efficient and convenient multimodal transport artery in the vast expanse of Eurasia. All 5 automobile checkpoints and 2 railway checkpoints between our countries have already resumed their normal operation. The parties are intensively discussing the possibility of opening a new railway checkpoint. The China-Kazakhstan Lianyungang Logistics Terminal opens access to the sea for Kazakh goods. China-Europe freight trains passing through the territory of Kazakhstan contribute to the diversification of delivery routes and play a significant role in ensuring the continuity of global supply chains and production.
30 years is a period of rooting in the people of Chinese-Kazakhstani friendship. Currently, 5 Confucius Institutes operate in Kazakhstan, centers for the study of Kazakhstan have been opened on the basis of 4 Chinese universities, and the Kazakh language is taught in 2 Chinese universities. A joint feature film “Composer” was released, dedicated to the real story of the Chinese composer Xian Xinghai and his Kazakh colleague Bakytzhan Baikadamov. Saulebek Kabylbekov, a Kazakh specialist, has treated 200,000 Chinese patients for 24 years at the ophthalmological clinic in Daqing, Heilongjiang Province. Many touching episodes about the friendship of peoples are accompanied by active humanitarian ties. In the near future, cultural centers will be mutually established, a center of Chinese traditional medicine and a workshop named after Lu Ban will open in Kazakhstan. Dynamic cultural and humanitarian interaction will strengthen the foundation of friendship between our peoples.
Withstanding the test of time and change, Sino-Kazakhstani relations have become solid as a rock. It is very important for us that, on the basis of the results achieved, we should direct even more efforts towards the continuation and development of centuries-old friendship. As part of the upcoming visit, I am ready to discuss with President Kassym-Zhomart Kemelevich Tokayev how to further advance the China-Kazakhstan eternal comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era, expand and optimize bilateral multifaceted mutually beneficial cooperation in order to, focusing on the community of common destiny of China and Kazakhstan, form a new paradigm for the development of bilateral relations.
First, it is important to steadily follow the course of good neighborliness and friendship. A high level of political mutual trust is the key to sustainable and dynamic development of bilateral relations. In this regard, we are ready to systematically plan bilateral relations with Kazakhstani friends at a strategic height and from the point of view of long-term prospects based on maintaining close contacts at high and top levels, intensifying exchanges and cooperation between governments, legislative bodies, parties and regions, unlocking the potential mechanisms such as regular meetings of heads of government, the intergovernmental committee for cooperation and its subcommittees. We will continue to provide each other with strong support on issues related to the fundamental interests and key concerns of our countries in order to strengthen the political foundation of China-Kazakhstan relations.
Secondly, it is important to continue building up mutually beneficial cooperation. Next year will be exactly 10 years of the initiative of the joint construction of the “Economic Belt of the Silk Road”, put forward by me in Kazakhstan. During this period of time, the One Belt – One Road initiative has moved from theoretical development to practical implementation. It has established itself as an inclusive and open platform for international cooperation, as well as an international public good, enjoying the universal support of the world community. In the post-COVID period, our countries should go further in the joint construction of the BRI in order to simplify investment and trade procedures, unlock the capacity of checkpoints and transit traffic, cultivate new growth points in areas such as artificial intelligence, big data, digital finance, e-commerce, green energy. We must implement socially significant projects with high standards for the benefit of sustainable development, raise pragmatic cooperation to a qualitatively new level, promote the practical implementation of the Global Development Initiative and make our common contribution to the recovery of the world economy.
Third, it is important to firmly defend our common security. In the context of a difficult international and regional situation, ensuring solidarity and deepening cooperation has been and remains a tool to overcome the crisis and solve security problems. China is ready to expand cooperation with Kazakhstan through law enforcement agencies, intelligence agencies and defense agencies, guided by the Global Security Initiative, implement the concept of common, comprehensive, joint and sustainable security, promote the implementation of the China-Central Asian States Data Security Cooperation Initiative , work together to fight the three forces of evil, drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, resolutely oppose attempts by outside interference, and work together to maintain lasting peace and long-term stability in the region.
Fourth, it is important to comprehensively strengthen cooperation in the international arena. Our countries should be tuned in to close cooperation within the framework of such multilateral formats as the UN, SCO, CICA, China-Central Asia, promptly exchange views on issues of international governance, food and energy security, stabilization of production and supply chains, as well as settlement regional hotspots, oppose unilateral action and bloc thinking, promote the development of the world order and the international system in a more just and rational direction.
The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will be held soon. It is taking place at a decisive moment when China is embarking on a new campaign for the comprehensive construction of a modernized socialist state and moving towards the goal set for the centenary of the PRC. We note with satisfaction that, by promoting the strategy of building a “New Kazakhstan”, your country is moving towards the goal of entering the top 30 developed countries. China is ready to continue sharing its successes and development experience with the Kazakh side. The doors of China’s openness and cooperation will always be open to Kazakhstan.
Kazakh proverb says: “Friendship is an inexhaustible wealth.” I am sure that if we continue to adhere to the principles of good neighborliness and friendship, deepen multifaceted mutually beneficial cooperation, then China and Kazakhstan will have another golden 30th anniversary of relations.
Unofficial translation
Number of shows: 2552
