Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao met with his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Monday to discuss ways to elevate China-Kazakhstan strategic partnership to a higher level.

At the beginning of a closed-door meeting, Hu said he was ready to have an extensive exchange of views with Nazarbayev on bilateral ties as well as regional and international issues of common concern.

"Actually, we have already started the exchange of views since last night," Hu said, referring to his dinner meeting with Nazarbayev shortly after his arrival in Astana Sunday.

Noting that China and Kazakhstan will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties next year, Hu said bilateral ties have seen all-round development over the years.

President Hu, who is paying a state visit to the Central Asian nation, attended a welcome ceremony hosted by Nazarbayev before they started their talks.

During the talks, Hu thanked Nazarbayev for inviting him to visit Kazakhstan and to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

President Nazarbayev said Hu's visit is of historical significance. He said during Hu's visit, the two countries will sign a series of documents on bilateral cooperation, including the agreement on upgrading the bilateral strategic partnership to an "all-round strategic partnership."

Nazarbayev said the agreement on upgrading bilateral links "will be a very important one that marks the beginning of a new era in bilateral relations."

He expressed the belief that through their meetings and signing of the agreements, the two countries will definitely push their bilateral relations to a new height.

The Chinese president is scheduled to meet Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov on Tuesday.

"I am willing to review the progress and fruits of bilateral ties with Kazakhstan leadership and together make plans for further development of bilateral ties," Hu said in a written interview with the Kazakh press on the eve of his visit.

"I hope to exchange views with them on the development of the SCO, the Central Asia situation and other major international and regional issues of common concern," he said.

Chinese officials said that during Hu's visit, the two sides will issue a joint political document and sign bilateral agreements for cooperation in economy and trade, finance and environmental protection.

Over the past 19 years since China and Kazakhstan forged diplomatic ties, bilateral relations have developed steadily. In 2005, the two countries established the strategic partnership.

In recent years, the two countries have maintained constant high-level exchange of visits, expanded pragmatic cooperation in various sectors, and had closer coordination in dealing with world and regional affairs.

In Astana, President Hu will attend the SCO summit slated for Wednesday. The leaders will review the development of the organization over the past decade and to discuss and formulate its future missions.

The Astana summit will mark the 10th anniversary of the founding of the SCO. The regional organization groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.