On May 6, the online signing ceremony of memorandum of cooperation between Sichuan and Almaty, Kazakhstan was held. The ceremony was held by the means of video conference and set up three parallel sessions in Chengdu, Almaty Municipal Government and Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Almaty. Huang Qiang, Vice Secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and the Governor of the People's Government of Sichuan Province, and Bakhytzhan Abdiruly Sagintayev, Mayor of Almaty, signed the Memorandum of Cooperation between Sichuan Province, the People's Republic of China, and Almaty City, the Republic of Kazakhstan on behalf of both parties through video channel at Chengdu and Almaty Municipal Government respectively and delivered speeches.

　　Huang Qiang said that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of the heads of China and Kazakhstan, Sichuan and Almaty have seen increasingly close people-to-people exchanges and more extensive cooperation. The establishment of friendship between the two places is of great significance to further enrich and develop the permanent and comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Kazakhstan, and consolidate and deepen the friendly ties between people of the two countries. Currently, Sichuan shows a strong momentum of development. The Belt and Road construction and the building-up of Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle are slated to bring new opportunities for further bilateral cooperation. Huang Qiang also hoped that both places could establish mutual visit mechanism, set up more platforms for further communication, and deepen practical cooperation in fields of direct flights, logistics, economy and trade, tourism, education, and medicine, so as to preserve and carry forward their long-standing friendship in the new age.

　　Sagintayev said that the inter-collaboration within the framework of Kazakhstan's new economic policy of "Bright Path Towards Promising Future" and China's co-construction of Belt and Road Initiative is particularly important to widen the bilateral cooperation. As the center of trading, economy, finance, and science and education in Kazakhstan, Almaty will make every endeavor to create the most convenient business environment and roll out practical supportive policies under the "Almaty 2050" development strategy. Almaty shows great interest in Sichuan's development of innovative industrial clusters and the construction of economic zones and industrial parks. The signing of the memorandum of cooperation is expected to propel the development of trading, economy and cultural exchanges for both places.

　　Gabit Koishibayev, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to China, and Miao Hongbo, Acting Consul General of Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Almaty, delivered speeches respectively.

　　Prior to the signing ceremony, Huang Qiang met with Koishibayev and his party. Huang Qiang said that the year of 2022 would witness the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Kazakhstan, and he hoped that the two countries could jointly push upward exchanges and cooperation in all fields to a new level on this new historical starting point. The two sides are expected to promote the heads of Kazakhstan to visit Sichuan and set up consulates here, constantly deepen the cooperation related to China Railway Express, make more achievements in the high-quality co-construction of Belt and Road, and deepen the cooperation on international air transportation to create "Silk Road in the Air" together. Koishibayev said that Kazakhstan and Sichuan have huge potentials in trading and cultural cooperation. The two sides are expected to propel the comprehensive operation of flights between Chengdu and Almaty, and expand trading and cooperation on agricultural products. He also hoped that Sichuan would provide support for Kazakhstan citizens in visa-free transit through Chengdu and participate in China-Kazakhstan Regional Cooperation Forum to start a new chapter of win-win cooperation.

　　Hu Yun, Secretary-General of the People's Government of Sichuan Province, and heads of relevant Sichuan provincial departments and Almaty also attended the signing ceremony or the meeting.