China opposed to any interference in Kazakhstan's internal affairs - Xi Jinping
ASTANA. July 2 (Interfax) - China supports Astana's efforts to protect Kazakh sovereignty and territorial integrity and is opposed to any interference in Kazakhstan's internal affairs, Chinese President Xi Jinping said.
"The Chinese side invariably supports Kazakhstan's efforts to protect its national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, to follow its own path of development and to pursue its domestic and foreign policy to ensure the prosperity of the state. At the same time, China is opposed to any interference by external forces in Kazakhstan's internal affairs," Xi said in his article published in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper on Tuesday ahead of his visit to Kazakhstan.
"I hope that the upcoming visit will allow President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and me to augment the good tradition of centuries-long friendship and comprehensive cooperation and outline new plans for the further development of bilateral ties in the interests of raising the Chinese-Kazakh eternal all-round strategic partnership to a new level," he said.
To this end, it is necessary, above all, to "strengthen the traditional mutual support in the political sphere," the Chinese leader said.
"Second, [it is necessary to] make the most of the advantages of mutually beneficial cooperation," he said.
Each country has its own set of resources, Xi said.
"The economies of China and Kazakhstan complement each other due to their structure and have enormous prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation. We will intensify the joint efforts to implement the Belt and Road Initiative and promote the Economic Path for a Fair Kazakhstan, expanding access for Kazakh goods to the giant Chinese market in order to jointly benefit from China's development opportunities," Xi said.
We also need to enhance cooperation in trade and economic issues, industry, investment, energy, extraction of mineral resources and agriculture, boost the throughput capacity of border crossings, help improve the servicing of China-EU freight trains and facilitate the construction of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route in order to promote the extensive and highly efficient network of transport interconnectivity, he said.
"It is also important to fully unlock the potential for cooperation in high technologies, including new energy sources, digital economy, artificial intelligence, cross-border electronic commerce, aviation and space, to develop production and supply chains with high added value and to give additional impetus to cooperation between the two countries," he said.
Third, Kazakhstan and China should strengthen the social basis of their centuries-long friendship, he said.
"Fourth, they need to adapt to the rapid pace of ongoing changes, unseen over the past century. China and Kazakhstan have been encountering unprecedented threats and challenges in their comprehensive mutually beneficial cooperation amid the changing international situation, which, at the same time, generates new chances and opportunities," Xi said.
"The Chinese side stands ready to create new opportunities with the Kazakh side at times of crisis and to open up new prospects in periods of changes, resolutely protect the UN-centric international system and world order based on international law, follow the principles of true multilateralism, oppose hegemony, the policy of force and bloc confrontation, and promote the principles of an equal and orderly multipolar world, universally accessible and inclusive economic globalization," Xi said.
The Chinese president is due to pay a state visit to Kazakhstan on July 2-4, during which he will also attend the 24th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of State.