中文
President Xi Jinping first proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative 20 months ago in Kazakhstan, and on May 7, 2015, he and his counterpart in the Central Asian country agreed to step up cooperation over the trans-Eurasianmega project.
Xi was visiting Kazakhstan for the second time since he became president, and he is the first foreign leader to be received since President Nursultan Nazarbayev was reelected last month.
Xi and first lady Peng Liyuan were greeted at Astana airport by the host country's prime minister and first deputy prime minister.
Nazarbayev and Xi discussed a series of major programs. Xi said the comprehensive strategic partnership between the neighboring countries is "showing the momentum of rapid development".
"Cooperation over a number of matters is progressing smoothly "and both sides should continue their efforts in cooperative projects regarding infrastructure and connectivity, Xi said.
The two sides are expected to work closely in a number of areas, including economic matters, security and culture, to benefit the people of both countries, Xi added.
Nazarbayev said Kazakhstan is ready to become an important partner of China's in building the Silk Road Economic Belt, especially in production capacity and energy.
The Silk Road initiative unveiled by Xi in a speech at Astana in September 2013 during his first visit-has received a warm welcome and positive responses from countries along the expected route.
Earlier this year, the State Council issued a document officially outlining plans for the economic belt and a second initiative, the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
ZhangHanhui, China's ambassador to Kazakhstan, said Nazarbayev's economic strategy, outlined last year has" resonated with the economic belt", and there spective development blueprints of the two countries "once again achieved a seamless docking".
The economic belt proposal also reflects calls from Eurasian countries for greater cooperation, Zhang said in an article published by People's Daily on Thursday.
Kazakhstan is a comprehensive strategic partner of China and one of its strategic footholds in Central Asia as it seeks to expand economically into Central Asia. The relationship is also an important factor in the campaign to curb terrorist and separatist forces.
China is the third-largest investor in Kazakhstan, with total investment exceeding $26 billion. More than 700 firms there are solely or jointly funded by Chinese.
China is the country's largest trade partner.
Kazakhstan has expressed a wish to become a transport and logistics hub along the Silk Road Economic Belt.
Last May, Xi and Nazarbay-ev attended the inauguration of a joint logistics terminal at a remote location in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, that gives the landlocked country an outlet to the Pacific Ocean.
Zhang said cross-border expressways, railways and oil and gas pipelines are "operating with great efficiency", and a range of international routes for cargo trains have been established.
"A network of transportation and logistics spanning the Eurasian continent is rapidly expanding," Zhang said.
