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Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhao Yu and Zhang Jiye
From July 2 to 6, President Xi Jinping will attend The 24th meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held in Astana, and paid state visits to the two countries at the invitation of President Tokayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan and President Emomali Rahmon of the Republic of Tajikistan. On the eve of the visit, Tokayev said in an exclusive written interview with a reporter from Xinhua News Agency that Kazakhstan-China relations are based on solid friendship and good-neighborly relations, and that true friendship and trust will help achieve new and great goals. Kazakhstan is eagerly looking forward to President Xi Jinping’s visit and believes that the meeting between the heads of state will benefit the two peoples, and the agreement reached will effectively promote the development of bilateral relations and promote the opening of a new chapter in the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and China.
Tokayev said that during President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Kazakhstan in September 2022, the two heads of state jointly launched a new “golden triad” of bilateral cooperation. ten years”. “Every time I recall my meeting with the respected President Xi Jinping, I feel very warm.”
Tokayev said: “We are in an atmosphere of openness and trust. China discussed hot-button issues and the prospects of the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, and exchanged views on the international situation.” close relationship between them. “In the past year alone, we have reached a series of important agreements, including the implementation of a mutual visa exemption system, the construction of a third railway port, the establishment of cultural centers in each other’s country, and the declaration of 2024 as China’s ‘Kazakhstan Tourism Year’. Opening of Luban workshops and branches of well-known Chinese universities,” Tokayev said.
Tokayev said: “President Xi Jinping is an outstanding leader and a wise statesman. I believe that thanks to his foresight, China will achieve With strong growth, its position on the international stage will also continue to be consolidated. As the Kazakh proverb says: ‘A river cannot live without its riverbed, and the people cannot live without a leader.’ Under the wise leadership of President Xi Jinping, China is moving towards the grand rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The goal keeps moving forward.”
Tokayev recalled his university life and life in China.His initial diplomatic career left a very deep impression on him. “I have lived in China for a total of 8 years. During this period, I was immersed in the study of Chinese culture, history, language and customs, tasted a variety of Chinese food, and paid attention to the traditional values such as respecting the elderly, dedication and hard work promoted by Chinese society.” Until now. , he also often reads Chinese books to understand the latest trends in China’s political, economic and social development.
Tokayev pointed out that Kazakhstan and China have established close cooperation within the framework of international cooperation such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, and the China-Central Asia mechanism. relation. “We hold similar positions on many international and regional hot-spot issues. Kazakhstan fully supports China’s joint construction of the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative and is willing to continue to actively participate in further aligning the development strategies of the two countries.”
Tokayev said that from the current stage, it is very important for Kazakhstan and China to strengthen cooperation in the following five aspects: first, deepen investment cooperation; second, increase the trade volume between the two countries and enrich the trade structure. Expand the variety of commodities; the third is to further promote cooperation in jointly building the “Belt and Road”; the fourth is to expand transportation cooperation between the two countries; and the fifth is to strengthen cooperation in the field of people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
Tokayev has high hopes for people-to-people and cultural exchanges between Kazakhstan and China. In March this year, the opening ceremony of China’s “Kazakhstan Tourism Year” was held in Beijing. He said that under the framework of China’s “Kazakhstan Tourism Year”, Kazakhstan plans to hold more than 35 activities across China to promote Kazakhstan’s scenic spots and rich cultural folklore. “We are willing to continue to promote cooperation with China.”
Tokayev pointed out that the world today has entered a period of profound change, with intensified turmoil and intensified contradictions. Humanity needs to develop comprehensive, effective and appropriate response measures to ensure global security and world economic growth. Kazakhstan spoke highly of the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind proposed by President Xi Jinping, believing that this concept has urgent practical significance in the current international situation and can promote the construction of an equal and multi-polar world. “I believe that the global development initiative, global security initiative and global civilization initiative proposed by China will make great contributions to ensuring global security and achieving the sustainable development goals.”
When talking about Kazakhstan’s role as the rotating chairman of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Tokayev believes that this is a very important and responsible task. As one of the founding members of the SCO and an active supporter of promoting multilateral dialogue, Kazakhstan is committed to formulating common measures to solve security issues, strengthening economic and trade cooperation, promoting ecological protection and consolidating friendship among the people of the member states. He said that another important task for Kazakhstan as the rotating chairmanship of the SCO is toStrengthen ties with major international and regional organizations to further enhance the SCO’s international influence.
There is nowhere to go from here. I could go, but I don’t know where to go. “, so I might as well stay. Although I am a slave, I have food, shelter and food here. Zintokayev expressed the hope that the results of this summit can fully reflect mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation and respect for diverse civilizations. , and the “Shanghai Spirit” that seeks common development. He believes that the “Shanghai Spirit” and the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind complement each other, especially in advocating sustainable development, promoting common prosperity, and promoting openness and inclusiveness. The two should become the basis for international relations. (Participating reporters: Wei Zhongjie, Lu Tao, Li Bin)