—Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Speech at Nazarbayev University,

Astana, September 7, 2013

Good morning. I have come to Kazakhstan, China’s great neighbor, on a state visit at the invitation of President Nazarbayev. It is my great pleasure today to come to Nazarbayev University and meet with all of you.

Let me begin by conveying the sincerest greetings and best wishes of the Chinese people towards the friendly people of Kazakhstan, the faculty members and students of this university and all the friends present today.

As the Kazakh proverb says, “The history of a land is the history of its people.” Since independence, Kazakhstan, under the leadership of President Nazarbayev, has seen lasting political stability, robust economic growth, significantly higher living standards and growing international influence.

The city of Astana, where we are today, has grown into a beautiful, modern city in less than two decades. It is a success story written by the people of Kazakhstan. Standing here, I can see both the hard work and ingenuity of the Kazakh people and the bright future ahead of them.

Over 2,100 years ago during China’s Han Dynasty, Chinese envoy Zhang Qian was sent to Central Asia twice with a mission of peace and friendship. His journeys opened the door to friendly contact between China and the Central Asian countries as well as the Silk Road linking east to west, Asia to Europe.

Shaanxi, my home province, is at the start point of the ancient Silk Road. Today, as I stand here and think of that period of history, I can almost hear the camel bells echoing in the mountains and see wisps of smoke rising from the desert. This image brings me closer to the place I am visiting now.

Kazakhstan, which sat on the ancient Silk Road, has made important contributions to the exchanges between Eastern and Western civilizations and the interactions and cooperation between various nations and cultures. This land has borne witness to a steady stream of envoys, caravans, travelers, scholars and artisans traveling between the East and the West and these exchanges contributed to and made the shared progress of human civilization possible.

The ancient city of Almaty was also on the ancient Silk Road. In Almaty, there is the Xian Xinghai Boulevard, which got its name from an event in history. At the start of the Great Patriotic War in 1941, Xian, a well known Chinese composer, arrived in Almaty. At that time, he was worn down by poverty and illness and had no one to turn to. Fortunately, the Kazakh composer Bakhitzhan Baykadamov took care of Xian and provided him with the comfort of a place to stay.

It was in Almaty that Xian composed three of his famous works entitled Liberation of the Nation, Sacred War and Red All over the River. He also wrote the symphony Amangeldy based on the exploits of that same Kazakh national hero. These pieces served as a rallying call in the fight against fascists and proved immensely popular with the local people.

Throughout the history, the people of various countries along the ancient Silk Road have jointly written a tale of friendship that has been passed on to this very day. The over 2,000-year history of exchanges demonstrates that on the basis of solidarity, mutual trust, equality, inclusiveness, mutual learning and win-win cooperation, countries of different races, different beliefs and different cultural backgrounds are fully capable of sharing peace and development. This is the valuable inspiration we have drawn from the ancient Silk Road.

Over the past 20 years, relations between China and Eurasian countries have developed rapidly and the ancient Silk Road has gained a fresh vitality. That ancient road is taking the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Eurasian countries to a new height.

A near neighbor is better than a distant relative. China and Central Asian countries are friendly neighbors connected by common mountains and rivers. China values its friendship and cooperation with these countries and treats them as priority in our foreign policy.

At present, China’s relations with Central Asian countries face a golden opportunity for development. We hope to work with these countries to strengthen trust, friendship and cooperation, and to promote common development and prosperity so as to bring benefits to both our peoples.

—We need to pass on our friendship from generation to generation and continue to be good neighbors living in harmony. China is committed to a path of peaceful development and an independent foreign policy of peace. We respect that development paths as well as domestic and foreign policies are chosen independently by the people of every nation. Under no circumstances will we interfere in the internal affairs of any Central Asian countries. We do not seek to dominate regional affairs or establish any sphere of influence. We stand ready to enhance communication and coordination with Russia and all Central Asian countries and strive to build a region of harmony.

—We need to firmly support and trust each other and be sincere friends. An important part of China’s strategic partnership with Central Asian countries is to render each other firm support on major issues concerning core interests such as sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability. We will deepen trust and cooperation with Central Asian countries bilaterally and through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to combat the “three forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism as well as drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. This will create a favorable environment for the economic development and the well-being of the people in this region.

—We need to enhance cooperation and be partners to our mutual benefit. Both China and Central Asian countries are at a crucial stage of development with unprecedented opportunities and challenges facing them. We have all set medium- to long-term development goals based on our own national conditions. Our strategic goals are the same, which is to ensure sustainable and stable economic development, build a prosperous and strong nation and achieve national revitalization. Therefore, we must enhance practical cooperation across the board and turn our good political relations, geographical proximity and economic compatibility into drivers of practical cooperation and sustained growth, building a community of shared interests and mutual benefit in the process.

—We need to expand regional cooperation with a more open mind and broader vision and achieve new glories together. The world is going through a process of quick economic integration and regional cooperation is booming as a result. The Eurasian region has quite a few regional cooperation organizations. The members and observers of the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC) and the SCO are from Eurasia, South Asia and West Asia. By intensifying cooperation between the SCO and the EAEC, we will create even more space for development.

To forge closer economic ties, deepen cooperation and expand development in the Eurasian region, we must take an innovative approach and jointly build an “economic belt” along the Silk Road. This will be a great undertaking that will benefit all countries along the route. To turn this into reality, we should start with work in individual areas first and then link them to cover the whole region.

First, we need to step up policy communication. Countries should have in-depth discussions regarding developmental strategies and policy response; work out plans for advancing regional cooperation; and create policies and laws encouraging regional economic integration. All of this should be done whilst seeking common ground between countries and respecting cultural differences.

Second, we need to improve road networks between countries. The SCO is working on an agreement regarding transport facilitation. If signed and implemented at an early date, it will open up a major transportation route connecting the Pacific and the Baltic Sea. Building on that same idea, we seek discussion on the best way to improve cross-border transportation infrastructure and work towards a transportation network connecting East Asia, West Asia and South Asia. Such a network would facilitate economic development and travel in the region.

Third, we need to promote unimpeded trade. The proposed economic belt along the Silk Road is inhabited by close to 3 billion people and represents the biggest market in the world and has unparalleled potential. The potential for trade and investment cooperation between the countries is enormous. We should discuss an arrangement for trade and investment facilitation, remove trade barriers, reduce trade and investment costs, increase the speed and quality of regional economic flow and achieve mutually beneficial progress throughout the region.

Fourth, we need to enhance monetary circulation. China and Russia have already established sound cooperation on settling trade with local currencies, and have gained experience through the procedure. There is no reason not to share this practice with others in the region. If our region can realize local currency convertibility and settlement under current and capital accounts, that will significantly lower circulation cost, increase our ability to fend off financial risks and make our region more economically competitive.

Fifth, we need to increase understanding between our people. Amity between people holds the key to good relations between states. To have productive cooperation in the above-mentioned areas, we need the support of our people. We should encourage friendly exchanges between our citizens to enhance our mutual understanding and traditional friendships and build strong public support and solid social foundations for regional cooperation.

A nation’s future lies in its young people. The great Kazakh poet and philosopher Abay Qunanbayev once noted, “The world is like an ocean and our time is like strong wind. The waves at the front are the older brothers while those behind are the younger. Driven by wind, the waves from behind constantly press on those in the front. This has been the case since ancient times.” Seeing so many young glowing faces in the audience, I can not help but recall the fond memories my own life in university. It was such an unforgettable time!

The Kazakh people often say, “Knowledge brings light to the world; without it, confusion will reign.” Indeed, knowledge is power. Young people are in the prime of their life, the best time to acquire knowledge, build character and develop their abilities. I am sure that the young people who will graduate from this university will become the future pillars of Kazakhstan’s national revitalization.

To facilitate exchanges between young people within the SCO framework, China will, in the coming 10 years, provide 30,000 government scholarships to SCO member states and invite 10,000 teachers and students from Confucius Institutes in these countries to China for tours of study. I hope you can seize these opportunities to come to China for study and exchange.

I also wish to invite 200 faculty members and students from Nazarbayev University to come to China next year and attend summer camps.

Young people are the backbone of the friendship between our people. Common interests and ideals that they hold throughout life all bring them together in true companionship. Let me share with you two touching stories involving Chinese and Kazakh people.

In the early 1950s, a young Chinese man working in Xinjiang met a pretty girl called Valentina at a local hospital. They fell in love, got married and had a son. However, due to the political climate of the time and other reasons, Valentina returned to her home country when their son was only six years old. When the boy grew up, he tried everything to find his mother but to no avail. In 2009, at the age of 61, he finally found that his mother was living in Almaty. He visited his 80-year-old mother there and took her back to China to travel. This family reunion, though overdue for half a century, is a strong testament to the friendship between our people.

The other story is about a young Kazakh student whose name was Ruslan. You may know that Rh-negative blood is called “panda blood” in China because it scarce like the animal. It is very hard for Rh-negative patients to find a compatible blood source. Ruslan, who studied at Hainan University in China, happened to be Rh-negative. Since 2009, he has been donating blood twice a year, helping to save Chinese patients with the same blood type. When praised by his Chinese friends, he simply said, “I feel this is what I should do. It is my duty to help others.”

The stories I have just told are but two instances from the legion of friendly exchanges between our people, yet they demonstrate how close the Chinese and Kazakh people are.

I believe that young people from China and Kazakhstan, including those of you in the audience, are the future envoys of friendship between our two nations. You shall contribute your youth and energy to the growth of the China-Kazakhstan comprehensive strategic partnership.

China and Kazakhstan are friendly neighbors as close as two peas in a pod. Our 1,700-km long common border, two millennia of interactions and extensive common interests not only bind us closely together, but also promise opportunities for bilateral ties and mutually beneficial cooperation. Let us join our hands to carry on with our traditional friendship and build a brighter future together.