China Daily: Warm welcome reflects strong ties

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The following article was published today by China Daily:

“Dear grandfather Xi Jinping, welcome to Astana, Kazakhstan,” a 10-year-old Kazakh girl, Daria, told the Chinese president in Mandarin shortly after his arrival on Tuesday. “We are honored to meet you and we like you!”

The interaction at Astana airport took place after a dozen Kazakh children sang the Chinese folk song Ode to the Motherland in front of President Xi and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who welcomed him at the airport.

Xi, smiling, praised the children for their Chinese and asked where they learned it.

Fluent in Mandarin, Daria told Xi that she wanted to study at Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University in the future.

“We welcome you to study in Chinese universities in the future,” Xi said.

This was part of the sincere gestures and diplomatic goodwill shown by President Tokayev in welcoming Xi on his fifth visit to the Central Asian country and his participation in the 24th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Tokayev warmly greeted Xi in Mandarin on the stairs of his plane, which was escorted by three Kazakh air force fighter jets as it entered the country's airspace.

At the airport, Tokayev held a welcoming ceremony attended by an honor guard of more than 100 people and 100 Kazakh children waving flags of both nations and enthusiastically greeting the Chinese president.

After the ceremony, Tokayev handed Xi a copy of the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper, which contained President Xi's signed article published before his visit.

The warm welcome illustrated the close personal bond between Xi and Tokayev and the vitality of ties between the two neighboring countries.

“Over the past 32 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Kazakhstan have withstood the test of time and international changes, forging a unique and enduring permanent comprehensive strategic partnership,” Xi said in written remarks delivered at the airport.

“The enduring friendship between our two nations has been strengthened over generations, serving as a model for neighboring countries in exemplifying mutual support, win-win cooperation and shared achievements.”

Bilateral trade between China and Kazakhstan hit a record high of $41 billion in 2023, with China now Kazakhstan's largest trading partner and export destination.

The unique and high-level nature of the bilateral relationship was also illustrated in September 2022 when Xi chose Astana as the destination of his first overseas trip since the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the trip, Xi was awarded the Order of the Golden Eagle, Kazakhstan's highest honor, by Tokayev.

“A truly great leader,” Tokayev said of the Chinese president while presenting the order, stressing Xi’s historic role and immense contribution to consolidating the friendship between the two nations and strengthening bilateral ties.

“I highly value this medal, which is a symbol of the enduring friendship between our peoples. With our combined efforts, I believe China-Kazakhstan relations will soar like a golden eagle, reaching new heights and bringing even greater benefits to our nations,” the Chinese president said at the award ceremony.

Another key moment of camaraderie between the two leaders came in May 2023, when Tokayev was in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, for a state visit and the China-Central Asia summit.

The visit coincided with the Kazakh leader's 70th birthday, and after official state activities, the two leaders shared a dinner featuring local performances and steaming bowls of Shaanxi longevity noodles, accompanied by warm birthday wishes.

“On this special occasion, your visit speaks volumes about the strength of our bilateral relations and reaffirms your unique bond with China,” Xi told Tokayev.

Zhao Huirong, a researcher at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the mutual trust and the importance the two leaders attach to bilateral relations have helped the ties between the two countries reach historically high levels.

The interaction between Xi and Kazakh children reflects growing public support for strengthening ties between the two nations, she added.

Mutual visa exemption agreements have boosted people-to-people exchanges, and China-Kazakhstan pragmatic cooperation has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples, she said.

President Tokayev, who knows China well and speaks fluent Mandarin, has shown keen interest in and high expectations for China-Kazakhstan cooperation and is optimistic about the future prospects of the partnership, Zhao said.

“We have every reason to believe that under the impetus of heads of state diplomacy, mutual trust and cooperation between China and Kazakhstan will reach higher levels and broader scopes, setting an example for ties between China and regional countries,” she said.

By Xu Wei and Ren Qi

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SOURCE China Daily