ASTANA -- The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislative body, pledged further exchanges and cooperation with the Kazakh parliament as a senior Chinese legislator wrapped up a five-day visit to the country on Saturday.

Hao Mingjin, vice-chairperson of the Standing Committee of the NPC, made the remarks during his visit from Jan. 23 to 27, heading a Chinese delegation, at the invitation of the Kazakh parliament.

During the visit, Hao met respectively with Maulen Ashimbayev, chairperson of the Senate of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Koshanov, speaker of the Mazhilis, or lower house of Kazakhstan's parliament, Roman Sklyar, first deputy prime minister, and Meirzhan Otynshiev, chairperson of the Almaty Maslikhat, the local representative body.

China and Kazakhstan are close neighbors, trusted friends, and mutually supportive partners, Hao said. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China and Kazakhstan have established a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership, pioneered a bilateral community striving towards a shared future, and set an example of friendly exchanges between neighboring countries.

China's NPC is willing to continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the Kazakh parliament, implementing the consensus reached by two heads of state, and contributing to the development of bilateral ties, he said.

Hao also briefed the Kazakh side on the 20th CPC National Congress, Chinese-style modernization, the whole-process people's democracy, and the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Kazakh side reiterated that it firmly upholds the one-China principle, is ready to promote cooperation between the two governments and two legislative bodies, as well as ready to deepen cooperation in various fields and continue to promote Kazakhstan-China relations.