At noon on July 2, 2024 local time, President Xi Jinping arrived in Astana by special plane to attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and pay a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Three Kazakh Air Force fighter jets took off to escort Xi Jinping’s plane after it entered the country’s airspace.

When he arrived at Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport in Astana by special plane, Xi Jinping was warmly greeted by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who was accompanied by First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu, Assistant to the President for External Affairs Erzhan Kh. Kazykhan, Mayor of Astana Kassymbek Zhenis Mahmuduly, and other senior officials. A young Kazakh woman in traditional costumes presented flowers to Xi Jinping.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a grand welcoming ceremony for Xi Jinping at the airport. Over 100 honor guards stood upright and a military band played the music of welcome and blew horns to greet. Nearly 100 Kazakh children waved the national flags of China and Kazakhstan, cheering “Hello” in Chinese to warmly welcome Xi Jinping’s visit.

Accompanied by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Xi Jinping inspected the guard of honor. More than ten Kazakh children sang the song “Ode to the Motherland” in Chinese.

Xi Jinping issued an arrival statement at the airport, in which he extended sincere greetings and best wishes to the friendly Kazakh people on behalf of the Chinese government and people.

Xi Jinping pointed out that the China-Kazakhstan friendship enjoys a time-honored history. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 32 years ago, China-Kazakhstan relations have withstood the test of the changing times and evolving international landscape and forged a unique permanent comprehensive strategic partnership, setting a good example of neighboring countries standing in solidarity, pursuing mutual benefit and helping each other to succeed. Xi Jinping recalled that 11 years ago, he first put forward the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt in Kazakhstan. Today, the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Kazakhstan has yielded fruitful results. Xi Jinping said he looked forward to having an in-depth exchange of views with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on China-Kazakhstan relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest and concern, and drawing a new blueprint and making a new plan for the development of the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Xi Jinping said he also looked forward to attending the SCO Summit in Astana to discuss with other parties the future of the organization and ways to advance cooperation, so as to achieve new and greater development of this important multilateral mechanism.

Cai Qi, Wang Yi, and other members of the entourage arrived on the same plane.

Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan Zhang Xiao also greeted President Xi Jinping at the airport.

When President Xi Jinping’s motorcade drove from the airport to the hotel, representatives from the local Chinese-funded enterprises gathered on both sides of the streets, waving the national flags of China and Kazakhstan and holding high red banners that read “Warmly Welcome President Xi Jinping to Kazakhstan for a Visit”, to warmly welcome President Xi Jinping’s visit.