Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Saturday that China-Kazakhstan relations are of great significance for the peace and stability of the region and the world at large.

Xi, who made the remarks when meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Beijing, said an independent, stable and prosperous Kazakhstan serves the interests of the Chinese and Kazakh peoples.

China is unswerving in its support for Kazakhstan's safeguarding of its own independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and believes that the Central Asian country is capable of safeguarding national security and social stability, he said.

Xi added that China is ready to deepen security cooperation with Kazakhstan and strengthen communication with other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to maintain security and stability in the two countries and the region.

China also supports Kazakhstan's work chairing the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia for 2020-2022, said the Chinese president.

Xi hailed the 30-year diplomatic relationship between China and Kazakhstan, as well as the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between the two neighbors.

China will always be a reliable friend and staunch partner of Kazakhstan, and stands ready to help it maintain stability, develop its economy and improve people's livelihood, said the Chinese president.

Xi said China is willing to deepen political trust and expand comprehensive cooperation with Kazakhstan so as to usher in another 30 golden years in bilateral ties. He called on the two sides to continue the building of the Belt and Road Initiative, and prioritize production capacity, trade, agriculture and infrastructure to boost interconnectivity.

He added that efforts will also be made to jointly cultivate new growth drivers in such fields as green energy, modern medical care, artificial intelligence, e-commerce and digital finance.

Tokayev thanked China for supporting Kazakhstan's efforts to reject external interference and maintain its own security and stability.

Kazakhstan will continue to be a friend, brother and reliable strategic partner of China, and will, free from any influence or obstruction by external forces, support China on issues related to its core interests, he said.

Tokayev added that Kazakhstan will continue its cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, and jointly advance the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and others proposed at the recent virtual summit between Central Asian countries and China.

He said Kazakhstan welcomes the Chinese president to visit the country at an early date, and welcomes more Chinese people to visit and study in the country.

Tokayev is among 30-plus world leaders and heads of international organizations who traveled to the Chinese capital for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

He congratulated China for successfully holding the opening ceremony on Friday night.

(Cover: Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Beijing, China, February 5, 2022. /CMG)