Kazakhstan hopes to ride on China's boom: president

ALMATY, Sept. 8 -- Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev told visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping here Sunday that his country hopes to ride on China's rapid economic development.

The Kazakh leader made the remarks as he accompanied Xi in a visit to Almaty, Uzbekistan's largest city and Nazarbayev's hometown. The two flew here together from Astana aboard Xi's airplane.

When China fares well, Kazakhstan will fare well, said Nazarbayev, adding that Kazakhstan is willing to work with China to enhance coordination on development strategies and pursue common development.

Briefing Nazarbayev about China's economic development, Xi said China enjoys sound growth momentum and will push forward economic restructuring and further increase the quality of its economic development.

China, he said, has confidence in maintaining a sustained and healthy economic development.

The two leaders agreed that Xi's visit to Kazakhstan is a huge success, as the two sides jointly charted the course for the future development of bilateral ties and signed a host of important documents.

The two countries, they said, should embrace a far-sighted vision, further expand practical cooperation and lift their comprehensive strategic partnership to higher levels.

Xi started his state visit to the Central Asian country on Friday in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, where the two presidents held formal talks on Saturday.

Later Sunday, Xi flew to Uzbekistan to continue his ongoing overseas tour, which will also take him to Kyrgyzstan. In the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek, he is also to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

Before flying to Astana, Xi paid a state visit to Turkmenistan and attended the eighth Group of 20 summit in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.