Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) met his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev (R) in Astana on June 13, 2011. [Xinhua]

Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao met his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev in Astana Monday to discuss how to lift the China-Kazakhstan strategic partnership to a higher level.

Hu, who arrived here Sunday for a state visit to the Central Asian nation, attended a welcoming ceremony hosted by Nazarbayev before they started their talks.

The Chinese leader is scheduled to meet with Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov Tuesday.

"I am willing to review the progress and fruits of bilateral ties with Kazakhstan's 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 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), 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 cooperation agreements on 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 exchanges of high-level visits, expanded pragmatic cooperation in various sectors, and had closer coordination in dealing with world and regional affairs.

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

Founded on June 15, 2001, the SCO groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.