President Hu Jintao (R) and his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, inspect an honor guard during an official welcoming ceremony in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, June 13, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

ASTANA - China and Kazakhstan upgraded their relations on Monday, vowing to develop an all-round strategic partnership and strengthen their cooperation in economy, trade, environment protection and other fields.

A joint statement was issued on the upgrading of Sino-Kazakh ties after talks between Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

As the relations between China and Kazakhstan are entering a new phase, the two countries decided to develop an all-round strategic partnership, the statement said.

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ALL-ROUND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

The statement said the two countries will strive to deepen pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthen coordination in a bid to realize common development and prosperity on the basis of adhering to the China-Kazakhstan Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation as well as other existing bilateral documents.

The two sides said that developing an all-round strategic partnership is the priority of the foreign policies of both countries no matter how the international and regional situations change.

Political mutual trust is the foundation of China-Kazakhstan relations, said the statement.

The two sides also pledged to maintain frequent exchange of visits between leaders of the two countries and strengthen comprehensive communication and cooperation between governments, legislatures, political parties, social groups, enterprises and financial institutes of the two sides so as to continuously promote mutual understanding and trust, the statement said.

The two countries reiterated that they will support each other's efforts in safeguarding their national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

Kazakhstan reiterated its firm adherence to the one-China policy, saying it supports a peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and China's peaceful reunification.

In the statement, China expressed support for the efforts made by Kazakhstan and its government leaders in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It said China also supports Kazakhstan in choosing its own way of development as well as in adopting necessary measures and making efforts to ensure its social development and economic growth.

China also supports Kazakhstan's efforts in safeguarding regional and world peace and stability, said the statement.

PRAGMATIC COOPERATION IN VARIOUS FIELDS

Pragmatic cooperation is an important component of the newly upgraded all-round strategic partnership, said the statement.

To strengthen bilateral pragmatic cooperation, the two countries have agreed to establish and initiate a mechanism of regular meetings between their prime ministers as soon as possible, said the document.

The two sides also pledged to enhance the efficiency of the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee and its subcommittees.

Recognizing the huge potential in bilateral economic and trade cooperation, the heads of state of the two countries have set a target of 40 billion U.S. dollars for bilateral trade by 2015.

The two countries agreed to continue expanding and deepening energy cooperation, noting that cooperation in this field is very important to the development of their relations.

To reinforce their cooperation on oil and gas, the two countries will work together to ensure the smooth construction of several oil and gas pipelines, said the statement.

Meanwhile, both countries said that they will continuously develop and deepen cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy as well as in the exploration of alternative energy resources, such as solar and wind power and other forms of clean energy.

The two countries also agreed to continuously carry out cooperation in non-resource fields and further strengthen their cooperation in investment and finance, among others, the statement said.

In the joint statement, China reiterated its support for Kazakhstan's entry into the World Trade Organization, while Kazakhstan welcomed China's participation in its industrialization process and infrastructure construction.

Both sides also emphasized the importance of humanistic cooperation and cooperation between the local governments of the two countries, the statement said.

The two sides spoke highly of fruitful cooperation in environmental protection, while expressing satisfaction over their cooperation in tackling contingency situations on a bilateral basis and within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The two countries noted that terrorism, separatism, extremism and cross-border organized crime pose serious threats to world and regional peace and stability, and vowed to continue to cooperate closely to fight the evil forces.