The development of relations between China and neighboring Kazakhstan has served as a fine example for cooperation between different countries featuring friendship and mutual benefit, according to experts.
The experts made the statement in separate interviews with China Central Television prior to Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival in the Kazakh capital city of Astana on Tuesday to pay a state visit to the Central Asian state and to attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
Over the past 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan, the bilateral relationship has experienced remarkable progress, reaching the level of permanent comprehensive strategic partnership.
This exemplifies the fruitful outcomes of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two nations, said Ding Xiaoxing, director of the Institute of European and Asian Studies under the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
"The permanent comprehensive strategic partnership is a demonstration of the special China-Kazakhstan relationship, which features lasting friendship, equal cooperation and mutual benefit leading to win-win outcome. This has set a fine model for the development of relations between countries," said Ding.
Kazakhstan is one of the first countries that joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over the past years, cooperation between China and Kazakhstan has yielded fruitful results in the interest of the two peoples.
"China has now become the largest trading partner to Kazakhstan. In 2023, trade between China and Kazakhstan topped 40 billion U.S. dollars. But I think there is still a great potential for further growth in such areas as the green economy, the digital economy, agriculture, and industrial investment," Ding said.
In addition, Kazakhstan is also an important transit hub that connects China and Europe via the China-Europe Railway Express.
"By 2023, the annual number of China-Europe freight train runs reached 17,000, with 80 percent of them passing through Kazakhstan. So the BRI provides the possibility and accelerates the process for Central Asian countries to become a transportation hub in the Eurasian continent. Meanwhile, the close cooperation between Kazakhstan and China has greatly propelled the development of the China-Europe Railway Express," said Li Ziguo, director of the Department for European-Central Asian Studies under the China Institute of International Studies.
In November 2023, the mutual visa exemption between China and Kazakhstan officially took effect. In that year, the number of personnel visits between the two countries reached close to 600,000.
In the first three months of 2024, the number surpassed 200,000, indicating the potential for another record-breaking year.
"Nowadays, Chinese tourists can directly enter Kazakhstan with their flight tickets to enjoy the country's exotic charm. In the future, there will be more opportunities for bilateral cooperation in areas such as media, culture, film production, and concert operation," Ding said.
China-Kazakhstan relations serve as example for cooperation between countries: experts
Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon on Friday jointly met the press after holding talks in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe.
Xi, whose last state visit to Tajikistan came five years ago, said he once again felt the enduring brotherly friendship between the Chinese and Tajik people upon his return to the Central Asian country.
Xi hailed his talks with Rahmon as fruitful and rich in content, saying they signed a joint statement on the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era, made a joint decision to build a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future defined by lasting friendship, sharing weal and woe, mutual benefits and win-win results from a higher starting point, and witnessed the exchange of more than 20 cooperation documents in various fields, which gives a new characterization to the bilateral ties and has opened up new prospects for bilateral cooperation.
Xi awarded Rahmon with the Friendship Medal of the People's Republic of China for his outstanding contribution to bilateral ties, which was the first time the award has been presented outside of China, fully demonstrating the deep friendship of the Chinese people to President Rahmon and the people of Tajikistan.
Xi said the two sides will, as always, firmly advance friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation, firmly support each other in pursuing a development path suited to their national conditions, and safeguard their respective national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
No matter how the international situation changes, China will always be a trustworthy friend, reliable partner and close brother to Tajikistan, Xi added.
Xi said the two sides have agreed to focus on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, comprehensively promote the synergy of development strategies of the two countries, and help each other's modernization drive.
China is ready to import more quality products from Tajikistan and continuously upgrade the quality and scale of China-Tajikistan economic and trade cooperation, said Xi.
He said the two countries have agreed to continue to deepen connectivity cooperation and support Tajikistan in tapping more potential in boosting transit transport.
China and Tajikistan will also deepen cooperation in various fields including mineral resources, agriculture, new energy, digital economy, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, and will enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation to consolidate popular support for their lasting friendship, Xi said, adding that support will be provided for more exchanges between the two countries' youths, media outlets, and think tanks, as well as in women's affairs and tourism.
Xi pointed out that China and Tajikistan are determined to further strengthen security cooperation to jointly crack down on the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and will work to maintain border security, unequivocally oppose third-party interference in the internal affairs of the two countries, and jointly safeguard regional security and stability.
The two sides will continue to strengthen communication and coordination on the Afghan issue, jointly participate in the cooperation of Afghanistan-related mechanisms, encourage the Afghan interim government to build inclusive governance, focus on development and improve people's livelihood, resolutely fight terrorism and crimes, and pursue friendship with neighboring countries, Xi said.
Both sides spoke highly of the achievements of China-Central Asia cooperation and are willing to continuously improve and strengthen the China-Central Asia mechanism, Xi said, adding that China has taken over the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and welcomes Rahmon to attend the SCO summit in China next year and discuss plans for the future development of the organization.
Stressing the importance of strengthening solidarity and cooperation for the international community, Xi said China advocates an equal and orderly world multipolarity and economic globalization that benefits all, and is ready to work with Tajikistan to actively implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, so as to contribute to the cause of world peace and development.
For his part, Rahmon said Xi's state visit to Tajikistan is an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations, which will inject strong new impetus into the development of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Tajikistan and China in the new era.
China and Tajikistan have been good neighbors and their bilateral relations have always been based on mutual understanding, mutual trust and mutual support, Rahmon said, adding that he and Xi are satisfied with the high-level development of bilateral ties and the fruitful results from bilateral cooperation, and have reached new consensus on the future development of China-Tajikistan relations.
The Tajik president said the documents signed on Friday will strengthen practical cooperation in various fields between the two countries, adding that his country welcomes more Chinese investment to help accelerate Tajikistan's industrialization and modernization process.
Tajikistan is willing to strengthen security cooperation with China to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism and safeguard the common security of the two countries, Rahmon said.
Tajikistan is also willing to maintain close communication and cooperation with China within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the China-Central Asia mechanism, so as to make positive contributions to regional peace and stability, he said.
Xi, Tajik president jointly meet press in Dushanbe
Xi, Tajik president jointly meet press in Dushanbe
