China, Kazakhstan to cooperate more on energy

Chinese five-point proposal outlines future cooperation with Kazakhstan.

Chinese and Kazakh leaders promised to strengthen the cooperation between their two countries in energy, communication, trade and other fields.

Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Qishan and his Kazakh counterpart, Kairat Kelimbetov, signed documents on bilateral cooperation to this effect during the sixth meeting of the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan.

Wang called for more energy cooperation between both countries. He said more effort should be made to ensure the construction of the second-phase of a China-Kazakhstan crude oil pipeline project and the project of a natural gas pipeline linking the two countries. He also pushed for the expansion of trade in natural uranium and exploring cooperation in new energy.

Wang also urged efforts to enhance cooperation in science and technology, minerals and culture, and to establish a long-term mechanism for science and technology cooperation.

Kelimbetov said the meeting of the cooperation committee between the two countries achieved fruitful results. Both sides are confident they are well positioned to realize the goal of bringing two-way trade to US$40 billion by 2015, he said.

Kelimbetov promised to enhance bilateral energy cooperation from an overall and strategic perspective, and take measures to raise the oil pipeline transmission capacity and push forward the construction of a Central Asia natural gas pipeline network.