China.org.cn: How about the future of the China-Kazakhstan relationship? What are the fields with greatest potential for shared development? And how does China pitch in?

Zhou Li: The stable growth of the China-Kazakhstan relationship has profound significance to China's peaceful development and China's ability to seize and extend its strategic opportunities. Kazakhstan pursues a multilateral and balance diplomacy, maintaining good relations with the United States, the EU, Russia, China and other neighboring countries. China and Kazakhstan are actively involved in regional and international affairs and share common or similar views towards many international issues. Both countries focus on peaceful development and formulate practical and long-term economic policies. China's 12th Five-Year Plan and Kazakhstan's National Development Strategy in 2020 have many properties in common. Moreover, the two economies have complementary advantages. Both sides have great potential in the cooperation in politics, energy, infrastructure, telecommunication and culture. The development of the China-Kazakhstan relations in the next 20 years has boundless prospects.

To achieve the goal of US$40 billion of bilateral trade volume, the two sides can work together on the following aspects:

First, both sides should map out plans for medium and long term economic cooperation, provide favorable policies and environment for each other's commodities, investment and services as well as explore potential projects on exchange platforms like the China-Eurasia Expo, Kazakhstan trade fair and Guangzhou Export Commodities Fair. China encourages domestic companies to invest in Kazakhstan.

Second, besides maintaining a stable cooperation on oil and gas, China and Kazakhstan should extend their cooperation to clean and new energy and non-energy sectors. Both are large agricultural countries and are complementary to each other. They have great potential of cooperation on planting, products trade and establishing agriculture experiment centers. Moreover, both sides need to establish an expressway for agricultural products at their border ports. Cooperation on highway construction, deep processing of nuclear fuel and aerospace industry should be gradually expanded. Furthermore, the two countries should fully implement the currency swap agreement and provide financial support to large joint projects.

Third is to strengthen cooperation on transportation. Both sides should promote infrastructure of border ports and road construction linking West China and West Europe.

China.org.cn: Could you please forecast the new year?

Zhou Li: There are three highlights for bilateral ties this year.

First is cooperation on trade and economy. Joint projects such as the Pavlodar Electrolytic Aluminum Plant and the Aktau Asphalt Plant will be set up within a year. The construction of the Astana-Alma Ata high-speed railway is in full swing. Construction for the Aktau Cement plant, the Pavlodar Soda Plant and the Bozshakulskoe Copper Mine are expected to break ground. The Horgos International Borders Cooperation Center and the Horgos-Altynkol railway will become the regional transportation hub with goods transported from and to Kazakhstan reaching 30 million ton annually in two or three years.

Second is cultural and people-to-people communication. To celebrate the anniversary, both countries will hold various activities on culture, education, tourism, science and technology and enhance personal exchanges on all levels. People-to-people communication will deepen mutual understanding and trust that will help to consolidate the two sides' traditional friendship.

Third is cooperation within SCO. The SCO has become an important platform for China-Kazakhstan cooperation on economy, security and culture. This year is designated as the SCO's "Year of Good Neighborliness and Friendship" proposed by China (the current SCO president nation). China will work with Kazakhstan and other member states to enhance unity and trust, promote cooperation in all fields and maintain the healthy pace of stability and prosperity over the next 10 years of the SCO.

This post was first published inChinese and translated by Li Shen.