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Xi made the remarks in a written statement upon his arrival in Astana for a state visit to Kazakhstan, where he will also attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The Chinese president said he is delighted to visit the beautiful country of Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and to attend the SCO summit, adding that he, on behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, conveyed sincere greetings and best wishes to Tokayev and the friendly Kazakh people.

China and Kazakhstan share a long tradition of friendship, Xi noted.

More than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Silk Road closely connected the two countries, marking the beginning of a history of friendly exchanges, he said.

Over the past 32 years since China and Kazakhstan established diplomatic ties, the relationship has withstood the test of time and the vicissitudes of the international landscape, evolving into a unique permanent comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi added.

He also said that the everlasting friendship of the two nations has grown stronger over time, and set an example of solidarity, mutual benefit, and mutual success between neighboring countries.

Xi recalled that 11 years ago, he first put forward the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt in Kazakhstan, adding that today, Belt and Road cooperation between China and Kazakhstan has yielded fruitful results.

Two-way economic and trade cooperation has reached new highs, people-to-people and cultural exchanges have featured numerous highlights, and the two sides’ international cooperation has been close and efficient, which has not only improved the well-being of the two peoples, but also injected more stability and positive energy into the international and regional situation, Xi added.

He said that during the visit, he will have talks with President Tokayev and have an in-depth exchange of views on China-Kazakhstan relations, all-round cooperation and other international and regional issues of common concern, in a bid to make new plans and arrangements for the development of China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi also said that he looks forward to attending the SCO summit, and discussing with all parties the future of the organization and ways to advance cooperation, so as to achieve new and greater progress for this important multilateral mechanism.

Three Kazakh Air Force fighter jets took off to escort Xi’s plane after it entered the country’s airspace. Tokayev held a grand welcoming ceremony at the airport to welcome Xi. A group of Kazakh children sang the song “Ode to the Motherland” in Chinese.

On Tuesday evening, Xi and Tokayev had a cordial and friendly exchange over dinner in a pleasant and warm atmosphere, discussing issues related to China-Kazakhstan relations and issues of common concerns.

This is Xi’s fifth visit to Kazakhstan and the second one in less than two years, following his previous state visit in September 2022. The visit this time is expected to bring a renewed focus on the multifaceted aspects of bilateral ties and cooperation.

Calling the China-Kazakhstan partnership “unique,” Xi said upon his arrival here that the everlasting friendship of the two nations has grown stronger over time, and set an example of solidarity, mutual benefit, and mutual success between neighboring countries.

In a series of meetings scheduled with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Xi is expected to engage in detailed discussions aimed at further strengthening cooperation between the two nations. The focal points of these talks are expected to cover trade and investment, infrastructure development, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

“The leaders of our countries launched a new ‘golden 30 years’ of cooperation between Kazakhstan and China,” said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of Kazakhstan’s China Studies Center, referring to a joint announcement by the two heads of state during Xi’s visit in 2022.

With Kazakhstan-China relations growing at a high level, it is believed that Xi’s visit to Kazakhstan will open up new prospects for bilateral cooperation, she said.

During Tokayev’s visit to China in 2019, the two countries decided to elevate their ties to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Speaking at a daily briefing in Beijing on Monday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that it is expected that Xi’s visit this time will further strengthen bilateral relations.

The deepening mutual trust and political ties between China and Kazakhstan have been accompanied by a remarkable growth in their trade and economic cooperation over the past three decades.

China was Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner in 2023, with two-way trade up by 32 percent year-on-year to reach 41 billion U.S. dollars. Key exports from Kazakhstan to China include crude oil, metals, and agricultural products, and in turn China has supplied Kazakhstan with machinery, electronics, and consumer goods, according to Kazakh government data.

The Central Asian nation has also become a critical partner in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to boost connectivity and promote global prosperity through infrastructure development and trade and investment facilitation. It was in Kazakhstan in 2013 that Xi first proposed the initiative of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

“This marked a magnificent chapter in Belt and Road cooperation between our two countries. And the development of China-Kazakhstan relations has since entered a new stage,” Xi said in a signed article in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper and Kazinform International News Agency on Tuesday.

Since then, the two countries have made significant strides in enhancing connectivity and economic integration through various BRI projects.

Among the recently completed and commissioned ventures are the Zhanatas wind farm, the Turgusun hydropower station, and the modernization of the Shymkent Oil Refinery. These developments underscore the robust energy cooperation fueling both countries’ development. The China-Kazakhstan crude oil and natural gas pipelines are also operating with remarkable stability and safety, ensuring a consistent energy supply vital for both economies.

This dynamic partnership has also extended into transportation infrastructure, with key transport and logistics hubs, such as the terminal in Xi’an, the Western Europe-Western China Highway, and the China-Europe Railway Express, functioning seamlessly.

BRI’s support for cross-border transport infrastructure has benefited Kazakh connectivity, according to a World Bank report, entitled “South Caucasus and Central Asia: The Belt and Road Initiative Kazakhstan Country Case Study.”

For more than a decade, Kazakhstan has invested substantially to improve its own transport network, but due to more limited improvements in trade facilitation and limitations of resources in many neighboring countries, the gaps have been difficult to fill.

The focus of BRI on expanding transport infrastructure and economic integration and China’s drive to connect its western and central regions more effectively to Europe and to West Asia provide an opportunity to address these gaps, according to the World Bank report.

“Kazakhstan is likely to be among the larger beneficiaries of the BRI,” it concluded.

Meanwhile, consensus on deepening cultural and people-to-people exchanges is expected to be reached during Xi’s visit. Both nations have for long recognized the importance of fostering greater understanding and friendship between their peoples, viewing cultural exchanges as one major cornerstone of their bilateral relationship.

So far, a China-Kazakhstan agreement on mutual establishment of cultural centers has been signed. Chinese and Kazakh filmmakers have co-produced a film entitled “The Composer,” which is their first co-production. Bilateral programs for cultural cooperation, including a Chinese university campus in Kazakhstan, a Luban Workshop, and a center of traditional Chinese medicine, have been implemented.

Thanks to the mutual visa-exemption arrangements, a total of 600,000 cross-border trips were recorded in 2023. In the first quarter of this year, the number of visits in both directions amounted to 200,000 and are expected to reach a new high, official data from both sides have shown.

In an exclusive written interview with Xinhua before Xi arrived here, Tokayev emphasized the significance of cultural and people-to-people communications between the two countries, as the opening ceremony of the “Kazakhstan Tourism Year” in China was held in March in Beijing.

“Cultural and people-to-people cooperation plays an important role in strengthening bilateral ties and fostering friendship between the peoples of our countries,” he said.

Xi landed in Astana earlier for a state visit to Kazakhstan. He will also attend here the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The group of teenagers, in white costumes, sang the song “Ode to the Motherland” in Chinese lyrics in a show of respect and warm welcome of the Kazakh people for Xi.

The song was written in 1950, almost a year following the founding of the People’s Republic of China. It has been quite popular among the Chinese people, resonating deeply with their pride in and love for their homeland.

Watching with smile on their faces, Xi and his Kazakh counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, applauded the teenagers’ performance.

After the performance, some of the young singers talked with Xi.

“Hello, esteemed Grandpa Xi. Welcome to Astana, Kazakhstan … It is our honor to meet you and we like you,” said one of the teenagers. She also told Xi that she started learning Chinese since childhood, because she wanted to go to Tsinghua University in China when growing up.

Xi, who graduated from Tsinghua University, wished they can go to good universities in the future, saying they are welcome to study in China.

It is Xi’s fifth visit to Kazakhstan since becoming Chinese president in 2013. When his plane entered the Kazakh airspace, it was escorted by three Kazakh Air Force fighter jets.

Tokayev greeted Xi at the airport together with a team of senior government officials including First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu.

As the Chinese leader walked down the gangway, nearly 100 Kazakh children were waving Chinese and Kazakh national flags, cheerfully chanting “Nihao,” or hello, in Chinese.

Accompanied by the music performed by the military band, Xi and Tokayev strolled along a blue carpet. Blue is the background color of the Kazakh national flag and a hue cherished by the Kazakhs. In the Central Asian country, blue means pure sky, peace and prosperity.

At the airport, Xi also chatted occasionally with the Kazakh president, who can speak fluent Chinese. In a recent interview with Xinhua, Tokayev said he now reads books in Chinese regularly and stays informed about Chinese political and socio-economic development.

Tokayev began learning Chinese when he was in college. He also studied in Beijing Language and Culture University from 1983 to 1984, where he achieved top grades.

In a written statement upon his arrival, Xi conveyed sincere greetings and best wishes to Tokayev and the friendly Kazakh people on behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people.

He hailed the uniqueness of China-Kazakhstan partnership.

“Over the past 32 years since China and Kazakhstan established diplomatic ties, the relationship has withstood the test of time and the vicissitudes of the international landscape, evolving into a unique permanent comprehensive strategic partnership,” Xi said.

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Following is the full text of the article:

Staying True to Our Shared Commitment and Opening a New Chapter in China-Kazakhstan Relations – Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China

All beings are flourishing in the height of summer. I will soon pay a state visit to Kazakhstan and attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in this vibrant season at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. This will be my fifth visit to your country as the President of the People’s Republic of China. Kazakhstan’s enchanting land, its splendid and distinctive culture, its vast and magnificent landscape, and its nice and friendly people have been most impressive. The visit offers me an opportunity to experience first hand the new progress and new changes that have been made in Kazakhstan. I look forward to meeting with President Tokayev to plan the way forward for closer China-Kazakhstan cooperation and draw a new blueprint for further growth of China-Kazakhstan relations and the SCO.

Over 2,000 years ago, Zhang Qian, a royal emissary from China led a diplomatic mission to the Western Regions, opening the door to friendship and exchanges between China and Central Asia. The ancient Silk Road, of which Zhang was a pioneer, contributed to the friendly exchanges and mutual learning between our two great nations. Over 80 years ago, Chinese musician Xian Xinghai and Kazakh composer Bakhytzhan Baikadamov met and came to know each other in Almaty. They soon became bosom friends and devoted brothers despite their different nationalities. Thirty-two years ago, China was among the first countries to recognize Kazakhstan’s independence. China-Kazakhstan relations have since embarked on a new journey. The history of China-Kazakhstan friendly exchanges is a strong testament to the fact that the development of our bilateral relationship conforms to the trend of history and that of our times.

It was in Kazakhstan eleven years ago that I first proposed the initiative of the Silk Road Economic Belt, which was warmly received by people from different sectors in Kazakhstan. This marked a magnificent chapter in Belt and Road cooperation between our two countries. And the development of China-Kazakhstan relations have since entered a new stage.

Our two countries have always supported each other and have always been partners in times of challenge. Our mutual political trust has reached a new level. The China-Kazakhstan relationship has made a leap from a comprehensive strategic partnership to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. The two countries have agreed on to promote the pursuit of a common future in the spirit of eternal friendship, profound mutual trust and solidarity, development and prosperity. We have rendered each other firm support on issues that bear on our respective core interests and are of major concern to us. We respect the development path that each has chosen according to our respective national conditions. We have always been trustworthy and reliable partners and would invariably extend a helping hand and do our utmost to support each other when we were hit by disasters like floods and pandemics. Such unbreakable mutual trust and support are invaluable, forming the strongest political cornerstone that underpins our bilateral cooperation.

Our two countries have always pursued mutual benefit, win-win and coordinated development, achieving new success in results-oriented cooperation. Last year, our two-way trade registered a record high of US$41 billion. China is now Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner and its top export destination. Major strategic projects including the Zhanatas wind farm, Turgusun hydropower station, and the modernization of Shymkent Oil Refinery have been completed and commissioned. China-Kazakhstan crude oil and natural gas pipelines are operating in a safe and stable manner. The “green lanes” for fast customs clearance of agricultural products are available at all border ports between the two countries, which makes green agri-products of high quality from Kazakhstan easily accessible for Chinese consumers. The potential for cooperation in new energy and transportation infrastructure has been unleashed. The transport and logistics terminal in Xi’an, the Western Europe-Western China Highway, and the China-Europe Railway Express all operate smoothly, providing a strong boost to the development of both China and Kazakhstan.

Our two countries have always helped and learned from each other and witnessed a new upsurge in people-to-people and cultural exchanges. A China-Kazakhstan agreement on mutual establishment of cultural centers has been signed. Chinese and Kazakh filmmakers have co-produced a film entitled “The Composer,” which is their first co-production. Our bilateral programs for cultural cooperation, including a Chinese university campus in Kazakhstan, a Luban Workshop, and a center of traditional Chinese medicine, have been fully implemented. These institutions are now up and running. Thanks to our mutual visa-exemption arrangements, our people can visit each other as frequently as relatives do. Last year, a total of 600,000 cross-border trips were recorded. In the first quarter of this year, the number of visits in both directions amounted to 200,000 and are expected to reach a new high. Subnational cooperation is also booming, with the number of sister cities increasing to 26 pairs. The much respected and lauded ophthalmologist Dr. Saulebek Kabibekov, the “panda-man” Ruslan Tulenov, who voluntarily donated his rare type of blood in China, and the immensely popular singer Dimash Kudaibergen have become China-Kazakhstan friendship envoys in the new era.

Our two countries have always worked together in response to various challenges, and our coordination and collaboration at the international level has achieved new and tangible results. China and Kazakhstan hold similar positions on international and regional affairs. Both countries champion the vision of common, comprehensive cooperative and sustainable security. And both are committed to acting as a world peace builder, a global development contributor, and an international order defender. We have jointly created a China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism, and maintained close coordination and collaboration in the United Nations, the SCO, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, among other multilateral organizations. We have actively supported each other’s constructive proposals for international cooperation, and taken resolute measures to safeguard our shared strategic, security, and development interests.

China and Kazakhstan can and will accomplish a great deal in bilateral cooperation in the years to come. I hope my visit will help renew our traditional friendship and deepen the all-round cooperation between our countries. During my visit, President Tokayev and I will meet and plan the way forward for further growth of China-Kazakhstan relations and discuss how best to take the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights.

First, our two countries need to further consolidate our political tradition of mutual support. As a Chinese saying goes, “We must be people of our word in dealing with friends.” China will continue to treat our Kazakh friends with sincerity and engage them with trust. China will work with Kazakhstan to further consolidate mutual political trust, strengthen strategic communication, and firmly support each other on issues that bear on our respective core interests and are of major concern to us. As always, China will support Kazakhstan in upholding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, in continuing on the development path suited to its national conditions, in implementing domestic and foreign policies in the interest of its development and prosperity, and in opposing interference in its internal affairs by any external forces. Our two countries need to always follow the four principles that hold key to the success of our cooperation, namely, mutual respect, good neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times, and mutual benefit, so as to ensure sustained and steady growth of China-Kazakhstan relations.

Second, our two countries need to stay committed to the golden rule of mutual benefit and win-win in our cooperation. China and Kazakhstan have different yet complementary resource endowments and industries. This offers huge potential for cooperation. China stands ready to promote greater synergy between Belt and Road cooperation and the economic policies under a Just Kazakhstan at a faster pace, and further open our super-sized market to Kazakhstan so that our Kazakh friends can share the opportunities of our development. Our two countries need to deepen cooperation in traditional sectors including business, trade, industrial capacity, investment, energy, mining and agriculture, and enhance the efficiency of customs clearance at border ports. We need to ensure the high-quality operation of the China-Europe Railway Express, advance the construction of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, and make the network connecting our two countries more multidimensional, diverse and efficient. We need to significantly unleash the potential for cooperation in such high-tech areas as new energy, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, cross-border e-commerce, aviation and aerospace, and build more industrial and supply chains with high added-values, in order to inject new impetus to our cooperation.

Third, our two countries need to strengthen public support for an everlasting China-Kazakhstan friendship. A deeper and stronger China-Kazakhstan friendship is what our two peoples aspire to. It is therefore important that we carry forward such friendship and enhance mutual understanding and affinity between our peoples through a diverse range of cultural and people-to-people exchange programs. Our two countries need to ensure the success of the Luban Workshop, Confucius Institutes, and the Kazakh campus of the Northwestern Polytechnical University to foster future generations who will carry forward the China-Kazakhstan friendship. China welcomes joint education programs and joint research projects between Chinese and Kazakh higher education institutions, think tanks and research institutes. China supports closer interactions between people from all sectors across Chinese and Kazakh societies. Both countries need to encourage more twinning between our provinces and cities and more cooperation on education, tourism, archaeology, arts, and media, so as to expand the depth and scope of China-Kazakhstan cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Fourth, our two countries need to be responsive to the accelerated changes on a scale unseen in a century that are unfolding across the world. Changes and turbulence in the global landscape pose new threats and new challenges, but also bring new opportunities and create new possibilities for all-round cooperation of mutual benefit between China and Kazakhstan. We Chinese believe that in every challenge lies an opportunity, and that challenges and opportunities are interchangeable. China stands ready to join hands with Kazakhstan in response to the changes of historic significance that are taking place in our world and in our times. We need to foster new opportunities amid crises, and open up new horizons on a shifting landscape. China will work with Kazakhstan to uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order underpinned by international law, act on true multilateralism, oppose hegemonism, power politics and bloc confrontation. We will work together to build an equal and orderly multipolar world, promote universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and bring about more positivity and certainty to world peace and stability.

Another important item on my agenda in Kazakhstan is to attend the SCO Summit. China highly commends the successful and fruitful work Kazakhstan has done in its capacity as the SCO chair to grow the influence of the organization. I have no doubt that the SCO Astana Summit will be a great success through concerted efforts of all parties and will help rally the SCO family closer and open up new prospects for SCO cooperation.

As a Chinese saying goes, “Success comes to those who share in one purpose. Triumph belongs to those who pull together in times of challenge.” In Kazakhstan, people say that five fingers held together make a powerful fist, and many people working in unity form a mighty force.

China will work shoulder to shoulder with Kazakhstan on the path to national prosperity and rejuvenation. Let us jointly draw up a new blueprint for closer cooperation and open a new chapter in China-Kazakhstan friendly relations.

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The plenum, which will primarily examine issues related to further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization, will last until July 18, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Thursday.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, chaired Thursday’s meeting.

The meeting decided to submit a draft decision on further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization to the plenum for deliberation.

At the meeting, Political Bureau members were briefed on comments on the draft, which were taken from both within and outside the Party. The draft will be updated after discussions at the meeting.

The draft has thoroughly analyzed the new situations and problems in advancing Chinese modernization and scientifically planned the overall arrangements for further deepening reforms, according to the meeting.

It was noted at the meeting that the draft serves as a programmatic document guiding deepening reform across the board on the new journey and demonstrates the resolve of the Party Central Committee with Xi at the core to open up broad prospects for Chinese modernization through further deepening reform.

Elaborating on the goals and objectives of further reform, the meeting said China will complete building a high-standard socialist market economy by 2035.

The system and capacity for governance will be basically modernized and socialist modernization will be basically achieved by 2035, it added.

The meeting spelled out principles to be upheld in furthering reform.

It emphasized upholding the Party’s overall leadership and safeguarding the Party Central Committee’s authority and its centralized and unified leadership.

It stressed the people-centered philosophy, adding that the principal position of the people and their creativity should be respected.

The meeting stressed seeking innovation while adhering to what has been done right.

It said socialism with Chinese characteristics should be unswervingly upheld and innovation should be explored in theoretical, practical, institutional, cultural and other aspects.

The meeting also called for seeking institutional improvement and improving top-level design.

It underscored the importance of deepening reforms and advancing Chinese modernization under the rule of law.

The meeting also emphasized the importance of adopting systems thinking to balance key relationships between the economy and society, government and market, efficiency and fairness, vitality and order, as well as development and security.

“The Party’s leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization,” the meeting noted, calling for turning the reform plan into a powerful driving force for advancing Chinese modernization.

Noting that China and Venezuela are good partners of mutual trust and common development, Xi said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties half a century ago, the two sides have supported each other in the changing international landscape, worked together to defend international fairness and justice as well as the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and forged an “iron-clad” friendship.

Xi noted that during President Maduro’s successful state visit to China last September, they jointly announced the elevation of the China-Venezuela relationship to an all-weather strategic partnership, ushering bilateral relations into a new era.

China is ready to work with Venezuela to uphold the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic ties, continue the traditional friendship, and take the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties as a new starting point, to continuously enrich the connotation of the China-Venezuela all-weather strategic partnership, make a greater contribution to world peace and development, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said.

For his part, Maduro said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Venezuela and China 50 years ago, bilateral ties have made considerable progress, adding in particular, the establishment of an all-weather strategic partnership between Venezuela and China is of historic significance.

Venezuela firmly supports China in safeguarding national sovereignty, opposes any attempt to contain China, and is willing to actively participate in the implementation of the Belt and Road cooperation and the three major global initiatives proposed by President Xi, continue to firmly promote Venezuela-China friendship and deepen bilateral cooperation and multilateral coordination, he noted.

He added that Venezuela firmly believes that under the wise leadership of Xi, China will surely achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.