NUR-SULTAN, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Friday that his country's partnership with China is natural and mutually beneficial.
During an interview with Russian broadcaster MIR TV, Tokayev said China is one of Kazakhstan's largest trade and economic partners.
Last year, the trade volume between the two countries reached nearly 14.5 billion U.S. dollars, the president said.
Tokayev said China offers a key transit point for Kazakh goods to enter the Asia-Pacific region, while Kazakhstan is also a major transit channel for goods from China to Europe.
"It takes at least 40 days to ship goods from China to Europe by sea, whereas it takes just 15 (days) to deliver goods on land through Kazakhstan and Russia," he said.
The president said the Chinese market also offers tremendous opportunities for Kazakhstan.
China is a traditional consumer of Kazakh energy resources, and there has been an increasing supply of Kazakh goods to China, he said, adding that demand for Kazakh food is also expanding in China.
"We are building a mutually beneficial economic partnership, and cooperation between Kazakhstan and China is absolutely natural," said Tokayev.
Besides Kazakhstan, many other countries have also engaged in cooperation with China, Tokayev said.
More than 120 countries and nearly 30 international organizations have joined China's Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to improve trade and transport corridors and open up new ones, Tokayev noted. Enditem
