On December 2, 2011, the grand launch ceremony of China and Kazakhstan Horgos International Border Cooperation Center and the China-Kazakhstan railway joining ceremony was held in Horgos Port. Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang and Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Aset Isekeshev attended the ceremony.

It is early winter in Horgos. The event site was decorated with colorful flags. At 2:45pm, Zhang and Isekeshev arrived at the site. The ceremony kicked off amid warm applauses of the Chinese and Kazakh people. The two leaders delivered a speech respectively extending congratulations on the completion of the two projects.

Zhang said that the Horgos International Border Cooperation Center and the joining of the China-Kazakhstan railway, as projects decided and pushed personally by President Hu Jintao and President Nursultan Nazarbayev, demonstrated the great attention paid by the two leaders to China-Kazakhstan all-round strategic partnership and gathered the wisdom and hard work of the two peoples. The Horgos International Border Cooperation Center is the first cross-border international cooperation center in Eurasia and the second railway passage is opened between China and Kazakhstan. The launch of the Center and the joining of the railway will create new development opportunities for the bilateral friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation.

Isekeshev said that Kazakhstan thinks highly of and attaches great importance to the launch of the Center and the joining of the railway. The breakthrough of the two projects will effectively help the two good neighbors deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthen friendly exchanges. He hopes the two sides make joint efforts to promote the prosperity and development of their own and in the region.

Later, Zhang and Isekeshev jointly cut the ribbon for the Horgos International Border Cooperation Center and issued the order to link the railway. The two leaders held talks following the ceremony.

Zhang said that the bilateral relations have grown rapidly, healthily and stably since China and Kazakhstan established diplomatic ties. The two countries enjoy deep political mutual trust and fruitful cooperation and support each other on major issues of each other's concern. In particular, when President Hu paid the state visit to Kazakhstan in June this year, leaders of the two countries jointly raised the bilateral relationship to the level of all-round strategic partnership. Zhang extended congratulations on the upcoming 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence and noted that the Chinese side feels sincerely glad for the tremendous achievements made by Kazakhstan under the leadership of President Nazarbayev. Next year will be the 20th anniversary of China-Kazakhstan diplomatic relations. The two sides should take the occasion as a new starting point to jointly implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries and push for the in-depth development of China-Kazakhstan all-round strategic partnership.

Isekeshev said that Kazakhstan attaches great importance to the relations with China. The two countries have achieved fruitful results of cooperation on major projects in many fields, which reflects the high level of the bilateral all-round strategic partnership. Kazakhstan will take the opportunity of the launch of the two projects to boost cooperation with China and open another chapter of the bilateral friendship.