China and Kazakhstan on Wednesday signed a protocol of bilateral negotiations between the two governments for Kazakhstan's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and visiting Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Akhmetzhan Esimov attended the signing ceremony of the protocol and other two bilateral documents, including a memorandum of understanding between Chinese and Kazakh petroleum companies and an agreement on the feasibility research of the China-Kazakhstan natural gas pipeline.

Wu said China support the early WTO accession of Kazakhstan, which is an important consensus reached by President Hu Jintao and his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev during Hu's Kazakhstan visit in July this year.

Wu said she hoped that under the joint efforts of both sides, China and Kazakhstan would further promote their strategic partnership and enhance their cooperation in various fields.

Esimov said Kazakhstan attaches great importance to the negotiation of WTO accession, expressing appreciation for China to give support and help during the process.

Kazakhstan applied to join in the WTO in 1996. China, as a member of the working group on Kazakhstan's WTO entry, concluded its bilateral negotiation with Kazakhstan after four rounds of negotiations. China and Kazakhstan acknowledged each other as a country with status of full market economy.

Source: Xinhua