China will continue to push forward the good-neighborly relations with Kazakhstan, said Jiang Zemin, chairman of the Central Military Commission, in Beijing Tuesday.

He told visiting Kazakh President Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev that the principle of treating neighbors as friends and partners reflects the thoughts of the ancient Chinese philosophy, and it is the only way for China and its neighbors to achieve peace and prosperity.

Jiang said that he has built up friendship with Nazarbayev in the process of working for further development of Sino-Kazakh relations. China attaches importance to the relations with Kazakhistan, and currently the two nations have maintained fruitful cooperation and their mutual trust has deepened, he noted.

Nazarbayev said that the two countries have established a framework of developing the bilateral relations, and the economic and trade cooperation has improved steadily.

He noted that his current visit is successful and Kazakhstan will expand cooperation with China in all fields.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2004)