On October 28, 2009, Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao met with a Kazakh delegation headed by head of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan. The delegation is here in Beijing for the 12th round of China-Kazakhstan bilateral consultations on consular affairs. Director General Wei Wei of the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, also head of the Chinese delegation to the consultations, as well as Counselor Xiao Qinghua of the Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan and Counselor Kazbek Sarsembekov of the Kazakh Embassy in China were present at the meeting.

Song said China attaches great importance to ties with Kazakhstan, pointing to the increasing political trust and deepening cooperation in all areas. Kazakh President Nazarbayev paid a state visit to China and attended Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2009 in April, exchanging in-depth views with President Hu Jintao on further deepening China-Kazakhstan relations and reaching broad consensus. Not long ago, Prime Minister Masimov came to China for the eighth prime ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states and held a bilateral meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao, adding new vitality to furthering pragmatic cooperation. Song believed that through this round of consular consultations, both sides could fully exchange views on issues of common concern such as protecting legitimate rights and interests of citizens of either country in the other country and facilitating personnel exchange, which would help build up understanding and mutual trust and further deepen bilateral consular relations.

Echoing Song's comments on bilateral ties, the Kazakh side expressed willingness to work with the Chinese side to enhance exchange and cooperation in the consular field and push forward bilateral ties.

Following the meeting, the delegations of both sides held consultations in a candid and pragmatic manner and achieved positive outcome. Both sides decided to hold the 13th round of consultations in Kazakhstan next year.