China, Kazakhstan agree to integrate growth strategies

China and Kazakhstan should also discuss the establishment of a fund for production capacity cooperation and sign a new edition of the agreement on encouraging and protecting mutual investment at an early date, Zhang said.

As Kazakhstan is to host the 2017 World Expo focusing on future energy, China is willing to seize the opportunity and step up cooperation with Kazakhstan on nuclear, wind and solar energy, he added.

The two sides, he suggested, should continue to promote infrastructure interconnectivity by enhancing policy coordination, improving efficiency of custom clearance and safeguarding transport security.

Zhang also called on the two sides to expand and deepen bilateral transport and logistic cooperation and build an express line of sea-land transportation between China and Central Asia.

China, he added, is ready to carry out finance and investment cooperation with Kazakhstan within the frameworks of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the China-Eurasia Economic Cooperation Fund and the Silk Road Fund.

In addition, the two sides should fully utilize the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee to prepare for the upcoming meeting of the heads of government, said the vice premier, who also congratulated Kazakhstan on concluding the negotiations on accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

For his part, Masimov spoke highly of the development of bilateral relations and thanked China for supporting Kazakhstan in joining the WTO.

He said Kazakhstan will closely cooperate with China and actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, and stands ready to advance bilateral cooperation on production capacity for more early harvests.

He added that his country will work with China to continuously deepen practical cooperation in such areas as infrastructure interconnectivity, construction of oil and gas pipelines, clean energy, finance, high technology and agriculture.

After the meeting, Zhang and Masimov witnessed the signing of some cooperation documents between the two countries.

Zhang also held talks with Kazakh First Deputy Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev on Thursday.

The two sides exchanged views on implementing the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and advancing cooperation in production capacity, energy, trade and economy, space technology, and local-government and people-to-people exchanges.

They decided to hold the seventh meeting of the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee in China in the second half of this year.

Kazakhstan is the final leg of Zhang's four-nation trip, which has taken him to Russia, Lithuania and Serbia.