Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart Kemelevich Tokayev said Thursday that China and Kazakhstan are negotiating the laying of a natural gas pipeline between the two countries.

Tokayev made the remarks when addressing Chinese social and political guests at the Kazakhstan Embassy in Beijing.

He said Kazakhstan's oil industry had become one of the main fields of cooperation with China.

Joint projects included an oil pipeline with an annual capacity of 20 million tons.

China and Kazakhstan completed the pipeline from Atasu to Alataw pass, one of the three sections of the Atyrau-Alataw pass pipeline, in December 2005. Tokayev said the pipeline is planned to open shortly.

Bilateral trade stood at 1.95 billion U.S. dollars in 2002, rising to 6.8 billion U.S. dollars last year, said Tokayev.

Tokayev arrived Tuesday for a three-day visit to China. This is the Kazakh Foreign Minister's first visit since the new government was formed in 2003.