BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Kazakh counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, on Friday sent congratulatory messages to the opening ceremony of the Kazakhstan tourism year in China in 2024.

Xi said China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors, good friends and good partners with a long history of exchanges between the two peoples and mutual learning between different civilizations along the ancient Silk Road.

Recalling that he put forward the idea of building an "economic belt along the Silk Road" in Kazakhstan in 2013, Xi said that over the past decade both countries had fruitful cooperation in various areas, with the Belt and Road Initiative as the main focus, bringing benefit to the two peoples and revitalizing the longstanding friendship between the two countries.

Cultural exchanges and tourism cooperation play an important role in boosting the understanding between the two peoples. In recent years, people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have been on the rise, as evidenced by the entry into force of the agreement on mutual visa exemption, the signing of the agreement on the establishment of cultural centers in each other's countries, the operation of the Luban Workshop, and frequent youth exchanges.

Xi called on both sides to take the Kazakhstan tourism year in China in 2024 as an opportunity to deepen cooperation on tourism, increase cross-border travel, carry forward their friendship to embrace the next "golden 30 years" in bilateral ties and make new contributions to building a China-Kazakhstan community of shared future.

Tokayev said in his message that Kazakhstan and China are friendly neighbors with deepening political mutual trust and fruitful cooperation in various fields, and are committed to fostering the next "golden 30 years" of bilateral relations.

With its long history and culture, numerous historical relics, magnificent natural scenery and hospitable people, Kazakhstan is well positioned to become the most popular tourist destination for Chinese tourists, Tokayev said.

Kazakhstan will hold a series of tourism-year activities to fully enhance Chinese tourists' understanding of Kazakhstan, further consolidate China-Kazakhstan friendship from generation to generation, and inject new strong impetus into the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, Tokayev said.

The Kazakhstan tourism year in China in 2024 was launched in Beijing on Friday under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan.