China has been an important cooperation partner to Kazakhstan, and efforts to further cooperation with the country is a key focus of Kazakhstan's foreign policy, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

Nazarbayev made the remarks while receiving on Tuesday the credentials of China's new ambassador to Kazakhstan, Zhang Xiyun, who arrived in Kazakhstan on November 7.

The frequent exchanges of high-level visits between Kazakhstan and China in recent years have given a strong impetus to their bilateral relations, he said.

He said Kazakhstan is willing to strengthen its strategic partnership with China, and work actively with the country within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the UN and other regional and international organizations in a bid to boost regional stability and development.

(Xinhua News Agency November 18, 2005)