On May 7 local time, President Xi Jinping arrived in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, starting his visit to the country.

At around 4:00 p.m. local time, Xi Jinping’s special plane arrived at the Astana International Airport. While President Xi Jinping and his wife Mme. Peng Liyuan walked out of the cabin door, Prime Minister Karim Massimov and First Deputy Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev of Kazakhstan welcomed them beside the ramp. Kazakh youth presented bouquets to them. The honor guard, lining up at both sides of the red blanket, saluted them with their eyes.

Wang Huning, Fan Changlong, Li Zhanshu, Yang Jiechi and other delegation members arrived by the same plane.

H.E. Zhang Hanhui, Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan, also greeted them at the airport.

Kazakhstan is the first leg of President Xi Jinping’s visit. This is also his second visit to Kazakhstan since assuming the office as Chinese President. During his visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013, President Xi Jinping proposed the initiative of building the Silk Road Economic Belt for the first time, receiving warm response from countries along the route. Over the past one and a half year, under the joint efforts of both countries, China-Kazakhstan comprehensive strategic partnership has rapidly developed and bilateral traditional friendship is exhibiting new vitality.

Following the visit to Kazakhstan, President Xi Jinping will head for Russia to attend the 70th anniversary of Russia’s victory in Great Patriotic War and visit the country, and then pay a state visit to Belarus.