ASTANA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a signed article published in Kazakh media on Tuesday that he looks forward to meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to plan the way forward for closer China-Kazakhstan cooperation and draw a new blueprint for further growth of bilateral relations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

"The visit offers me an opportunity to experience first hand the new progress and new changes that have been made in Kazakhstan," Xi said.

The signed article, under the title "Staying True to Our Shared Commitment and Opening a New Chapter in China-Kazakhstan Relations," was published in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper and Kazinform International News Agency, ahead of his state visit to Kazakhstan.