Astana, March 26th—Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met here today with Maulen Ashimbayev, Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan. 

Liu noted, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, China-Kazakhstan relations have continuously shown new vitality and reached a new height of permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state has become a common task for all departments across all levels of the two countries including the two governments, political parties, parliaments, and local governments. China is willing to work with Kazakhstan to deepen exchanges and cooperation among political parties, parliaments, civil society and at sub-national level under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and bring the all-round cooperation between China and Kazakhstan to a new level. 

Ashimbayev said that in recent years, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President Xi Jinping have maintained close contacts and led the high-level development of bilateral relations. Kazakhstan is willing to further deepen cooperation with China in economy and trade, energy, infrastructure, logistics, education, culture, tourism, youth, digital technology, artificial intelligence, etc. At the beginning of this year, I visited China for the first time as the Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan and this visit yielded fruitful results. The Senate of Kazakhstan is willing to promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields between Kazakhstan and China, including inter-party exchanges, through parliamentary channels, so as to better promote the development of the bilateral permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. 

Alibek Bakayev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, and others, were present.