ASTANA -- China and Kazakhstan signed an agreement here Thursday outlining the principles for building and operating the China-Kazakhstan natural gas pipeline.

Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and Kazak Prime Minister Karim Masimov were present at the signing ceremony in the Kazak capital.

The China National Petroleum Cooperation and the Kazakhstan National Petroleum and Natural Gas Co signed the contract.

Prior to the signing ceremony, the two officials held talks on efforts to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields, including politics, economy and trade, investment, energy, telecommunications, transportation, finance, science-technology, humanism and security.

The China-Kazakhstan strategic partnership has entered a new stage of robust development, said Wu, who is here for the fourth meeting of the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee.

Mutual beneficial cooperation in various fields has made remarkable achievement since the committee was established, and the fourth meeting will implement the agreements reached by the two sides with a view to bringing the cooperation to a higher level, she said.

Wu said China is ready to closely cooperate with Kazakhstan, take tangible measures, take advantage of the cooperation committee and strive to implement the agreements in a bid to promote China-Kazakhstan relations.

For his part, Masimov said the two countries have shown mutual understanding and mutual support on many significant issues and great importance is attached to developing bilateral ties.

The Kazak side would like to maintain the good momentum of exchange at all levels with China, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields and continuously push forward the Kazakhstan-China strategic partnership, Masimov said.