NUR-SULTAN - Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan Zhang Xiao said here on Tuesday that the year 2019 has seen tangible results in the development of Sino-Kazakh relations.

"In 2019, First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and (Kazakh) President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited China. Tokayev's visit lifted the relationship to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. This is unprecedented," Zhang told reporters from both countries in a group interview.

Nazarbayev was awarded the Friendship Medal of the People's Republic of China for his outstanding contributions to the development of Sino-Kazakh relations, the ambassador added.

"Kazakhstan's participation in the second China International Import Expo in Shanghai was a complete success," Zhang noted. "Contracts worth 160 million US dollars were signed, which would increase access of Kazakh products to the Chinese market."

Two-way trade is expected to reach a new record of more than 20 billion dollars in 2019, said Zhang, adding that a number of important industrial and investment projects have also been launched.

"New impetus has been injected into cultural exchanges. The first Sino-Kazakh film 'The Composer' gains widespread recognition in both countries," he said. "It won four awards at a recent annual award in the United States."

"We will continue high-level political dialogues on bilateral relations and on international and regional issues," Zhang noted.

He added that bilateral cooperation will focus on the development of relations between young people, think tanks, educational institutions and art groups of the two countries.