BEIJING -- China will continue to expand its energy ties with Kazakhstan, especially in oil and gas exploitation as well as chemical engineering programs, a senior official said Friday.

The two countries should enhance dialogues between governments and companies and improve bilateral energy cooperation mechanisms, said Liu Tienan, head of the National Energy Administration.

He said the two countries should accelerate the construction of oil pipelines, including the Beyneu-Chimkent section of the China-Kazakhstan gas pipeline and the Kazakh section of China-Central Asia gas pipeline "C", to ensure long-term and stable supplies of oil and gas to the world's second largest economy.

The Beyneu-Chimkent section of the China-Kazakhstan gas pipeline, which is scheduled to be completed in March 2013, will benefit more than 5 million people in the Central Asian country and boost its economic growth.

China and Kazakhstan will continue to push forward cooperation in new energy and resource equipment manufacturing as well as explore new areas of cooperation, Liu said.