Xi's upcoming visit shows support for Kazakhstan -- analyst

    The upcoming visit on part of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Kazakhstan following Nazarbayev's re-election is a show of support to the Central Asian nation, a political analyst said on Monday.
    Xi will visit Kazakhstan tomorrow (Thursday, May 7), on the first leg of his second international trip in 2015, which will also take him to Russia and Belarus.
    China-Kazakhstan relations are anchored by practical cooperation feature frequent exchanges at all levels, Aidar Amrebayev, head of the Institute for World Economy and Politics under the Foundation of First President of Kazakhstan stated.
    Xi's decision to visit Kazakhstan directly following President Nazarbayev's re-election, Amrebayev said, indicates China attaches great importance to its ties with Kazakhstan and supports its stable and sustainable development.
    Xi and Nazarbayev are expected during their talks to draw up a joint blueprint for mutually-beneficial cooperation between the two countries, including the joint construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and cooperation on big projects.
    Noting the epoch-making initiative was first proposed by Xi during his visit to Kazakhstan in 2013, Amrebayev said the Silk Road Economic Belt will bring opportunities to the country and will serve as a positive factor for maintaining regional stability.
    Kazakhstan is now faced with many challenges after joining the Moscow-led Eurasia Economic Union due to Russia's flagging economy and devaluing Ruble, he said. But those difficulties can be overcome by joining the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative.
    Amrebayev welcomed and encouraged Chinese enterprises to turn out high-tech products in Kazakhstan and then export them to European countries.
    He said he also hoped the initiative would attract more European investment and technology into Kazakhstan.
    To quell any misgivings that certain Western nations might have over the initiative, Amrebayev recommended an international dialogue mechanism be established to attract as many countries as possible to join the program, according to Shanghai Daily.