ASTANA, Kazakhstan - China and Kazakhstan will further deepen their strategic partnership and expand all-round bilateral cooperation, with economic ties playing a major role, Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan Zhou Li said on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

"The frequent high-level political dialogues between China and Kazakhstan greatly promoted bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, including China-Kazakhstan gas and oil pipelines, as well as in machinery manufacturing, transport infrastructure, and other fields," he said.

Economic cooperation has the potential to be upgraded from trade mainly in primary goods to large-scale direct investment, he said.

"China and Kazakhstan's economies are highly complementary, even though Kazakhstan increasingly emphasizes the development of non-energy sectors," said Zhou, adding that China has an enormous market, and financial and technological advantages.

China has been Kazakhstan's second-largest trade partner since 2009 and its biggest export destination since 2010.

Trade volume between the two countries increased from $1.29 billion in 2001 to $20.4 billion in 2010. This figure is expected to reach $40 billion in 2015, said President Hu Jintao during his visit to Kazakhstan in 2010.

But Chinese enterprises still lack experience of investing in a country with different laws, religions and culture, Zhou said. 

"The higher standards of environmental protection and strict rules regarding localized employment in Kazakhstan, for instance, force Chinese enterprises to adjust their business strategy here."

"Governments on both sides should help enterprises to get used to each other's culture and regulations, which I know is not an easy task," he said.

Besides obeying local laws, Chinese enterprises should also prioritize their social responsibility in Kazakhstan, Zhou said.

"I'm glad to see Chinese enterprises here have made great progress over the past several years."

"Enterprises' commitment to local welfare is not only about their companies' image abroad, but helps to improve pubic perceptions of China."

China and Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations on Jan 3, 1992, shortly after Kazakhstan became independent at the end of 1991. Both sides decided to establish a strategic partnership in 2005.

From Jan 5 to 14, Chen Zhili, vice-chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, will respectively visit five Central Asian nations, including Kazakhstan, and attend their activities celebrating the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations with China, as a special envoy of President Hu, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. 

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