On October 17, President Xi Jinping met at the Great Hall of the People with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev who is in China to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

Xi Jinping pointed out that a healthy, stable and dynamic China-Kazakhstan relationship is conducive to the development and revitalization of the two countries as well as to the region’s peace and stability. China supports Kazakhstan in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. No matter how the international situation changes, China and Kazakhstan should stay true to their original aspirations, help and support each other, pass on the belief in good-neighborliness and friendship from generation to generation, and promote the continued development of the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Xi emphasized that ten years ago, it was in Kazakhstan that he first put forward the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt. The two sides should work more closely to deliver more outcomes in Belt and Road cooperation and bring greater benefits to the two peoples. China is ready to work with Kazakhstan to further facilitate trade and investment, and implement key investment cooperation projects in production capacity. China is ready to increase imports of Kazakhstan's high-quality green agricultural products, expand green energy cooperation, strengthen connectivity, expand the scale of railroad freight transport between the two countries, boost the use of the trans-Caspian Sea international transport routes, and enhance the capacity, scale and efficiency of the China-Europe railway express. The two sides should tap the potential and foster new growth  areas for cooperation, increase the synergy between the building of the "Digital Silk Road" and the strategy of "Digital Kazakhstan", and promote exchanges in digital technologies including cross-border e-commerce, artificial intelligence, big data and blockchain. The China-Kazakhstan agreement on mutual visa exemption will soon come into force, and next year will be the Year of Kazakhstan Tourism in China. The two sides should strengthen cultural exchanges and cooperation at the sub-national level, promote the building of Luban workshop, and build stronger public support for bilateral relations. China firmly opposes interference by external forces in the internal affairs of Central Asian countries, and is ready to continue to strengthen communication and collaboration with Kazakhstan to promote China-Central Asia cooperation. China will also support Kazakhstan’s presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to help bring the SCO cooperation to a new level.

Tokayev said he is very delighted to be invited to China to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Kazakhstan is the place where President Xi Jinping first proposed the initiative of jointly building the Belt and Road, and Kazakhstan has firmly supported and actively participated in the initiative since day one. Over the past ten years, China has become a leading major country in the world, and made brilliant achievements in jointly building the Belt and Road. Kazakhstan wishes and believes that this forum will be a complete success. Tokayev recalled President Xi Jinping's successful state visit to Kazakhstan in September last year, noting that it has given strong impetus to the development of the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and China. The relevant departments of the two sides have been earnestly implementing the common understandings of the two heads of state, and have made progress in cooperation in relevant fields. Tokayev said China is a friend and partner Kazakhstan can always trust. The Kazakh side is ready to work with the Chinese side to continue to firmly support each other, deepen practical cooperation, and enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges in a joint effort to usher in a new golden 30 years for bilateral relations. Kazakhstan speaks highly of China's impartial stance and active role in international affairs, including its efforts to promote the settlement of the Ukraine crisis, and is ready to strengthen multilateral communication and collaboration with China.

The two heads of state witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in such fields as connectivity and economic development.

Cai Qi and Wang Yi attended the above the activities.