'Each thread of ties is full of friendship': Interview

On Sept. 24 and 25, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev paid a working visit to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on invitation, where he visited Huordos Port and Yining City. Despite his heavy schedule, the President found time to accept the exclusive interview given by People's Daily journalist Ma Jian. In the interview he freely aired his views on Kazakh-China relations and highly praised New China for its achievements gained in its construction over the past 55 years since its birth.

Nazarbayev told this journalist that he "fully agreed to President Hu Jintao's remark that the two countries have become good friends, good neighbors and good partners." He said he was full of confidence in the prospect for the development of Kazakh-China relationship for the following five reasons:

First, relationship between the two countries have undergone continuous development in the past 10 years since the establishment of Kazakh-China diplomatic relations and the signing of Kazakh-China Good Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in December 2002.

Second, the boundary issue between the two countries has been completely settled, in 2002 the two countries signed a protocol on the border question, going through all the legal formalities on the boundary issue.

Third, investment cooperation between the two countries has witnessed continuous expansion. The cooperation agreement signed by the two countries this past May on laying an oil pipeline stretching from Atasu of Kazakhstan to the Alatau Pass, China. Can be said to have reached a new height in the cooperation between the two countries. This 1,000-km pipeline is scheduled to complete by the end of 2005. Construction of this project is of strategic importance to both countries.

Fourth, the two countries are maintaining active cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and

Fifth, the two countries are continually expanding cooperation in the field of humanities. He said, "Cultural Day of Kazakhstan" has been successfully held in China. And the "China Day" activity has likewise been held in Kazakhstan. In addition, cooperation between the two countries in the field of education is kept deepening, as evidenced in the growing number of students exchanged between the two nations.

Meanwhile, in the opinion of Nazarbayev, cooperation between diplomatic departments, border areas and industrial circles of the two countries is also developing vigorously. He said metaphorically, "Our two countries are tied in a thousand and one ways, each thread of links is full of friendship".

Talking about Kazakh-China cooperation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, President Nazarbayev says that China is a big country in the world and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization proposed by China that is influential in international affairs is of paramount importance. He thinks the organization will play a greater role in jointly guaranteeing regional security and stability.

Speaking of bilateral trade cooperation, the President told this journalist that during his China visit in May 2004, the two countries signed 10 documents, seven of which are related to economic and trade cooperation and set the goal of raising bilateral annual trade volume to US$5 billion. In terms of the current bilateral trade volume, Kazakhstan is the 2nd largest trade partner of China in the CIS and Eastern Europe, second only to Russia. Last year the trade volume between the two countries totaled US$ 3.3 billion. Now the two sides are marching steadily toward the anticipated goal.

With regard to the forthcoming 55th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, President Nazarbayev extends his heartfelt congratulations to the Chinese people. He says China has demonstrated to the world its amazing growth rate, its people's living standards keep improving and its science and technology reaches the world's advanced level. He has visited China 10 times, during which he went successively to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hainan, through which he has deeply perceived the changes in China, as he said, "In our eyes, China is a great, peace-loving country full of vigor and creativity."

Nazarbayev said China's achievements of today are associated with the name of a great man--Deng Xiaoping. Deng kept China opening ever wider to the outside world and applied advanced foreign experience in national construction. Deng's reform and opening up policy itself is a pioneering work, and it is also a miracle. Nazarbayev said that China's great cause has today been inherited by the new generation of leaders. He is convinced that China will definitely become a unified, prosperous, strong and great country under the leadership of President Hu Jintao.

Article by the People's Daily newspaper and translated by People's Daily Online