On March 19, 2019, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Vice Premier Han Zheng met at Ziguangge of Zhongnanhai with First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Alikhan Smailov of Kazakhstan.

Han Zheng said that China and Kazakhstan are friendly neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners. Under the strategic guidance and personal promotion of President Xi Jinping and President Nursultan Nazarbayev, China-Kazakhstan relations have maintained a high level of operation and become a model of harmonious coexistence and mutual benefit between countries. The two sides have maintained close high-level exchanges, enhanced political mutual trust and achieved fruitful results in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative. It is hoped that the two sides will further give full play to the important role of the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee, enhance the integration of development strategies, promote practical cooperation in the areas of economy and trade, investment, customs and finance, and support enterprises of the two countries in strengthening project cooperation in line with the principles of commercialization and marketization, so as to push China-Kazakhstan cooperation for constant and new progress.

Alikhan Smailov expressed that the Kazakh side is willing to continue to actively participate in the building of the Belt and Road Initiative and step up cooperation in such fields as finance and infrastructure construction with the Chinese side.