President Hu Jintao and visiting Kazakhstan President Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev signed a joint statement in Beijing Monday. Highlights of the statement are as follows:

The two heads of state spoke highly of the development of bilateral ties. They discussed international and regional issues and reached wide-ranging consensus on cooperation in many fields.

The two sides reiterated the importance of the treaty on good-neighborly and friendly cooperation, signed in 2002, as well as the outline of cooperation between the two countries during 2003 and 2008, signed in 2003. They pledged to abide by the principles established in the documents and continue to carry out relevant agreements.

The two sides stressed that top-level exchange and frequent exchange of views on important issues concerning bilateral and multilateral cooperation would help the stable development of the diplomatic ties and further strengthen mutual trust. The establishment of the China-Kazakhsatn cooperation commission would help deepen bilateral cooperation in various areas.

The two countries stressed that they will abide by international law on inviolability of territorial integrity and national boundaries, and the relevant boundary conventions between the two countries, to keep peace and stability along the bordering areas.

The Kazakhstan side reiterated its adherence to the one-China principle, and that it opposes any attempts to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan." It is against "Taiwan independence" and against Taiwan to attend any international or regional organizations open only to sovereign states. It will not have any official ties or contacts with Taiwan.

The Chinese side reiterated that it will not first use nuclear weapons at any time and in any case, nor will it use or threaten to use nuclear weapons on those countries or regions without nuclear weapons.

The Kazakhstan side stressed it will further coordinate with the Chinese side to strengthen global and regional security.

The two sides will continue to maintain exchanges and mutual visits between the defense ministries and establish military technological cooperation in accordance with the agreements reached by the two sides.

The two sides consider terrorism, separatism and extremism as severe threats to global security and stability, and will expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation to campaign against those threats.

The two sides will, within the bilateral agreed framework, continue to effectively strike terrorism in all forms and terrorist groups and terrorists recognized by the United Nations, including the "East Turkistan" force that imposes a direct threat to regional security and stability.

The two sides hold that the cooperation agreements signed during the Kazakhstan president's current visit to China in fields of trade, energy, traffic and agriculture bear special significance on the development of the bilateral ties. The two sides will actively promote trade and economic cooperation and create favorable conditions for cooperation in those fields.

The two sides reiterate that the two countries will give full play to the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Commission and the China-Kazakhstan Council of Entrepreneurs to optimize the trade structure, promote economic technological cooperation, boost investment and expand cooperation with mutual benefits in fields of energy, traffic, infrastructure construction, agriculture, science and technology, information, finance, and aviation and space exploration.

The two sides will strengthen coordination in the international and regional economic organizations. China supports Kazakhstan's accession to the World Trade Organization. The two sides will create favorable conditions for border trade.

China supports Kazakhstan enterprises to invest in China's western region and Kazakhstan supports Chinese enterprises to participate in various Kazakhstan economic construction projects.

The two sides agree that the geographic adjacency and economic complementarity lay a solid foundation for the close cooperation in petroleum and natural gas production. The further expansion of the cooperation has great strategic significance for the economic development of the two countries. The two sides will join hands to lay an oil pipeline from Atasu to the Alataw Pass as soon as possible and implement relevant oil fields projects.

The Kazakhstan side supports Chinese enterprises to take part in the oil and natural gas exploration projects in the Caspian continental shelf.

The two sides will accelerate studies on plans to lay natural gas pipelines from Kazakhstan to China.

Both sides agree that the establishment of a main railway crossing Kazakhstan bears strategic significance on improving trans-border freight transportation capability between Asia-Pacific and European nations. China supports the project and attaches importance to the construction of the railway.

The two sides are willing to enhance cooperation to develop the northern part of the Pan-Asian railway network and improve the freight transportation capacity.

The two sides will carry out cooperation in environmental protection in line with relevant international conventions and take necessary steps to prevent pollution, and to ensure reasonable use of natural resources.

The two sides pledge to enhance bilateral exchanges in culture, education, tourism, health, social security and sports, and support friendly exchanges between the youths of the two countries.

The regional exchanges across the borders will help increase mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation between the two countries. The increasing parliamentary exchanges in recent years are helpful in boosting bilateral relations. The two countries also expressed their support for their inter-party exchanges.

The two sides vow to take measures to strengthen the legal basis of relevant treaties to safeguard the legitimate rights of citizens of the two countries.

The two sides insist on conducting cooperation and establishing a fair and democratic world order on the basis of the UN Charter principles and acknowledged international laws. The two sides insist on settling international disputes peacefully, improving the international relations system, ensuring the role of the UN in the world and promoting the diversified development mode.

The two sides spoke highly of the agreements reached within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), saying the SCO has entered a new development stage. The launch of two SCO permanent organs, the Beijing-based secretariat and the Tashkent-based regional anti-terror center, will contribute to deepening coordination, safeguarding peace and stability in the region and expanding mutually-beneficial economic and trade cooperation among the SCO members.

The two sides will make joint efforts to implement the trade cooperation program outlined by the SCO prime ministers in 2003, and enhance bilateral cooperation, the statement said.

Speaking highly of the summit meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICBMA) held in 2002, the two sides agree that they will further push forward the CICBMA process.

The Chinese side expresses support for the Kazakhstan side's proposal on holding the first-ever conference on world and traditional religions and its advocating dialogue between different religions and between different sects of religion.

The two sides agree to keep regular high-level bilateral exchanges. Nazarbayev invited Hu to visit Kazakhstan at the convenience of both sides.

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2004)