The head of state of China and Kazakhstan plans the direction of cooperation between the two countries

  This is the first time that the Kazakh side has made such an arrangement.     Just now, I had a friendly and fruitful meeting with President Tokayev, reaching a broad consensus and jointly signing the Joint Declaration of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Kazakhstan, jointly planning the key directions of future cooperation between the two countries. We also witnessed the exchange of multiple intergovernmental and departmental cooperation documents between the two countries, covering key areas such as economy and trade, connectivity, energy, agriculture, science and technology, and culture, injecting new impetus into the high-quality development of China Kazakhstan relations. At the same time, the 24th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will be held in Astana on the 4th, and leaders from participating countries will arrive one after another.   The international media is closely monitoring the SCO summit, which will accept Belarus as a member state, and the number of SCO members will be expanded to 10. UN Secretary General Guterres, who is about to attend, said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has become an important force on the international political stage.

 

      Six fighter jets from the Kazakh side pulled out Chinese flag colored smoke over the Presidential Palace to welcome Chinese dignitaries, and multiple local media outlets reported on this special arrangement.

A Global Times reporter noticed on the streets of Astana that despite the rain, many Kazakhstani people stopped and looked up, took out their phones to shoot and record this scene. Some local people say, "China is our neighbor, we are good brothers and partners." Others say, "I hope the friendship between the two countries will last forever."

After the welcome ceremony, the two heads of state held small-scale talks.   China has always viewed China Kazakhstan relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and regards Kazakhstan as a priority direction for China's peripheral diplomacy and an important partner for cooperation in Central Asia. China's willingness and determination to maintain and develop China Kazakhstan relations are unwavering and will not change due to short-term events or international changes.

  China is a friendly neighbor, close friend, and important strategic partner of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan China relations are based on solid neighborly friendship and firm mutual support, showing an unprecedented good development momentum. Cooperation in trade, energy, agriculture, minerals, and other fields has achieved important results, benefiting the people of the two countries, and can be regarded as a model of state to state relations.

Subsequently, the two heads of state held large-scale talks. Kazakhstan International News Agency stated that members of the official delegations of Kazakhstan and China also participated in the talks.

  China is willing to enhance economic and trade cooperation with Kazakhstan, establish a new goal of doubling bilateral trade volume as soon as possible in the future, further expand imports of high-quality goods from Kazakhstan, and create new growth points for cooperation in e-commerce, digital economy, and other fields.

The two heads of state will meet with reporters together afterwards.   The Chinese side has decided to open a second Luban workshop in Kazakhstan and hold the "China Tourism Year" in Kazakhstan next year.

"Focusing on China means focusing on the future"

On the 3rd, the two heads of state jointly attended the opening ceremony of the China Europe Cross Caspian Sea Express via video at the Presidential Palace in Astana. This is the first time that Chinese vehicles have arrived at ports along the Caspian Sea via direct road transportation. The China Europe freight train, which starts from China and crosses the Caspian Sea, has been operating smoothly for 2 years, marking the official completion of a multi-dimensional and interconnected pattern that integrates road, railway, aviation, and pipeline transportation.

Kazakhstan attaches great importance to the visit of the Chinese head of state and has received high public attention. On the streets of Astana, landmark buildings light up the Chinese flag, and screens on both sides of the street also light up Chinese red. News about China Kazakhstan's neighborly friendship is scrolling on television. A local university student told the Global Times: "Kazakhstan has benefited a lot from the joint construction of the the Belt and Road initiative. There are many areas for cooperation between the two countries. Focusing on China is focusing on the future."

"We can confidently say that the relationship between the two countries has entered a new 'golden age'. The relationship between the two countries has made important contributions to sustainable economic and social development and improving the well-being of the two peoples. Last year, the bilateral trade volume exceeded 41 billion US dollars. This is a record breaking indicator. There are currently 45 joint investment projects being implemented, covering industries, energy, transportation, green economy, agriculture, and other fields, with a total investment of 14.5 billion US dollars. At the same time, cultural exchanges and interactions between the two countries have become increasingly active year by year." Kazakhstan International News Agency quoted Tokayev as saying in the meeting on the 3rd.

 

Today, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization talks about expanding its membership

According to Kazakhstan International News Agency, on the 3rd, leaders of various countries attending the 24th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Head of State Council, including Russian President Putin, Tajikistan President Rahmon, Kyrgyzstan President Zaparov, Uzbekistan President Mirziyoyev, and Pakistan Prime Minister Shabaz, arrived in Astana.

Russian news agency Sputnik reported that Russian President's press secretary Peskov stated on the 3rd that leaders of SCO member states will discuss the issue of expansion at the Astana summit. He stated that there are many countries that hope to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and this topic will be discussed at the summit on the 4th. The Russian side welcomes Belarus to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. According to reports, Belarus has been participating in activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization since 2010. The country was initially a dialogue partner and later obtained observer status.

Belarusian President Lukashenko will also attend the Astana Summit. He stated in an interview with Harbin media that he firmly believes that today's SCO has become an engine of global economic growth, an attractive center for investment and innovation. For Belarus, the SCO is not just an international organization, it is also a strategic perspective. Especially in the areas of trade, economy, and investment cooperation, as well as the development of infrastructure such as transportation, logistics, information, and communication.

The Astana Summit has also received international media attention. The Guardian of the UK reported that there were many topics on the chessboard of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization this week. The organization was founded in 2001 and initially had six founding member countries - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Since then, its membership and scope have continued to expand.

According to the Associated Press, Iran is electing a new president due to the death of President Lech in a helicopter accident in May, and the country's acting president, Mukhbel, will attend the Astana summit. Other guests of SCO include leaders of Azerbaijan and Türkiye, who are currently the dialogue partners of SCO. UN Secretary General Guterres, who is currently visiting Central Asia, will also attend the meeting.

On the 3rd, Kazakhstan International News Agency released an interview with Guterres. He stated that in recent years, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has become an important participant on the international stage. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization continues to work towards its initial goal of coordinating responses to common threats such as terrorism and violent extremism, while also seeking to deepen economic integration and multifaceted cooperation, and strive to promote regional security.

[Xing Xiaojing, Global Times' special correspondent to Kazakhstan, Li Qiang, Global Times' special correspondent to Kazakhstan, Liu Yupeng, Global Times' special correspondent]