On September 13, 2001, Premier Zhu Rongji, who is paying a official visit to Kazakhstan, met respectively with Oralbai Abdykarimov, Chairman of the Kazakh Senate, and Zharmakhan Ayatbayevich Tuyakbayev, Chairman of Mazhlis, the Kazakh lower house. The two sides held warm and friendly talks.

Zhu conveyed cordial greetings from Chairman Li Peng of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress respectively. They asked Zhu to return their cordial greetings to Chairman Li.

Zhu said that this year is the 10th anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence. Remarkable achievements have been made by the Kazakh people during the past 10 years. A Kazakhstan playing a positive role in regional and international affairs has presented itself before the world. At present, China-Kazakhstan relations have been developing very well. The leaders of the two countries have exchanged constant visits and established good working relationship and personal friendship. Exchanges and cooperation between various departments of China and Kazakhstan have broadened and deepened, and remarkable progress has been made in diverse fields. Zhu said that he is on a visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh Prime Minister Tokayev. They exchanged views on how to further develop and deepen bilateral relations, especially bilateral economic and trade relations, and reached consensus on many issues. Both sides were satisfied with the current relations and agreed relations between the two countries have huge potential and bright prospects. The Chinese side is ready to push forward its good-neigbourly relations with the Kazakh side to a new level in the spirits of friendship and pragmatism and in consideration of the overall situation.

Zhu said that both Chinese and Kazakh parliaments play an important role in national development and social progress. Parliamentary exchanges are an important part of bilateral relations. We welcome friends from Kazakhstan's parliament to visit China often and conduct more exchanges and cooperation, which will promote mutual understanding and all-round development of bilateral relations.

Abdykarimov said that China has scored outstanding success in its recent development and is playing a increasingly important role in Asia and the world. China ranks prominently in Kazakhstan's foreign affairs. People of all walks of life in Kazakhstan are satisfied with the friendly relations and cooperation with China, and the Kazakh parliament will continue friendly exchanges with China so as to strengthen all-round bilateral friendly relations and cooperation.

Tuyakbayev said that all the people in Kazakhstan are satisfied with the development of good-neighborly and friendly relations and cooperation with China. There's no obstacle impeding bilateral relations and cooperation in any field, either in politics, trade, economy or culture. All agreements signed during Premier Zhu's visit will surely be ratified smoothly in the Kazakh parliament. Kazakhstan and China have a lot to learn from each other in the field of seeking development. The Kazakh parliament will work hard to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese side to promote the all-round development of Kazakhstan-China relations.