China and Kazakhstan have witnessed an upsurge in people-to-people and cultural exchanges in recent years, a development that Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed in a signed article published in Kazakh media outlets prior to his visit to the central Asian country.
Xi arrived for a state visit to Kazakhstan on Tuesday, where he will also attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
On the same day, the signed article from the Chinese president was published in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper and Kazinform International News Agency under the title "Staying True to Our Shared Commitment and Opening a New Chapter in China-Kazakhstan Relations."
In the article, Xi highlighted the enduring friendship between the Chinese and Kazakh peoples, citing an example involving Chinese musician Xian Xinhai and Kazakh composer Bakhytzhan Baikadamov.
Over 80 years ago, Xian and Baikadamov met and became close and devoted friends despite their different nationalities and languages.
"In 1943, my father happened to meet Xian Xinghai, who was sitting on a box holding a violin. Seeing how helpless and homeless Xian was, my father took his hand and brought him home," Baikadamova's daughter Baldyrgan said.
Xi also mentioned the much-respected Kazakh ophthalmologist Saulebek Kabibekov, who treated more than 200,000 patients during his 25-year stay in northeastern China.
There was also a nod to the hugely popular Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen, who took China by storm after he won the second place in a popular reality singing competition, "Singer 2017", and later had the chance to meet Xi.
"I first met President Xi in 2017. After the performance, he came to me and told me about his impressions [of] my work and musical journey in China. Since then, I've been exploring Chinese culture and history which, of course, has inspired me infinitely," said Kudaibergen.
People-to-people exchanges between the two countries have also become more frequent since mutual visa-exemption arrangements took effect last year, facilitating greater travel between the two sides.
Last year, a total of 600,000 cross-border trips were recorded. In the first quarter of 2024, the number of visits in both directions had already amounted to 200,000 and are expected to reach a new high by the end of the year.
China, Kazakhstan see upsurge in people-to-people, cultural exchanges
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
