China, Kazakhstan pledge more cooperation, political trust as they mark 30 years of ties
- A joint statement signed by the leaders of both countries also signals more economic partnerships
- Kazakhstan supports ‘peaceful efforts’ by Beijing to bring Taiwan under its control
Kazakhstan pledged support for peaceful efforts by Beijing to bring Taiwan under its control, while China said it stood by Kazakhstan choosing its own path to development, according to the statement, signed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the central Asian country.
The visit – Xi’s first outside China since the early days of the pandemic – was followed by a diplomatic blitz from the Chinese president, who on Thursday met leaders of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan to deliver a similar message, according to official statements.
While China and Kazakhstan said they would cooperate more closely in agricultural trade, e-commerce, energy and hi-tech investments, the joint statement, published on China’s foreign ministry website, began with political assurances.
“Both sides emphasised that political trust is the important basis for permanent comprehensive strategic partnership,” the statement read. “Both sides will continue to give each other firm support on issues of core interest, such as sovereignty, national security and territorial integrity.”