Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a joint declaration in Astana yesterday on closer cooperation between their two countries in many aspects, particularly in fighting terrorists, separatists and extremists.

　　The document was signed after Hu and Nazarbayev held talks at the presidential palace. Several other documents on cooperation between the two countries in different fields were also signed.

　　The Kazakh government reaffirmed that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government of China and that Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory. Kazakhstan also affirmed that it will not establish official relations with Taiwan in any form.

　　The two neighboring countries vowed to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism, which are posing serious threat to the global security and stability.

　　China and Kazakhstan will work together to combat the "three forces" on bilateral and multilateral basis, the joint declaration said.

　　Both sides are determined to take more effective measures to fight terrorism in any form, including "Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement," so as to safeguard peace and stability of the two countries and the region.

　　"Both sides believe that combat against 'Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement' is an important part of the international campaign against terrorism," the two leaders said in the joint declaration.

　　Hu and Nazarbayev also signed agreements to revitalize work on an oil pipeline from Kazakhstan to China as well as boost Chinese participation in the Kazakh energy sector, establishing a program for cooperation running to 2008.

　　The agreements are "an important sign that China places great attention and importance on developing friendly relations between China and Kazakhstan," Hu said at a news conference with Nazarbayev after their talks in this Central Asian nation.

　　The two leaders also pledged to more than double trade between their countries over the next few years to US billion, up from just under US billion last year.

　　A Chinese-Kazakh project announced in 1997 to build a 3,200-kilometer oil pipeline from western Kazakhstan to western China stalled due to a lack of oil to make it economically viable.

　　As the leaders pledged to get that project going, Hu emphasized that Kazakhstan - the largest geographically and most economically strong country in Central Asia - could be a vital player in helping China meet its energy needs.

　　Hu arrived in Kazakhstan on Monday to pay a two-day state visit to the central Asian country. He is to leave today for Mongolia, the last destination on his trip.