Editor's note: After 21 years of independence, Kazakhstan has turned into one of the most rapidly developing economies in the world. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was one of the most impoverished. On the occasion of its 21st Independence Day, China Daily reporters explore the reasons for Kazakhstan's economic success and assess the outlook for the China-Kazakhstan partnership.

Kazakhstan hopes to continue strong relations with China under the new Chinese leadership, according to the Kazakh foreign minister.

"We know and welcome the new Chinese leadership and watched closely the result of the 18th Party Congress. ... We expect to develop the same relationship with the new leadership," Erlan Idrissov said.

Idrissov was speaking to Chinese media in an interview to mark Kazakhstan's 21st Independence Day.

"Kazakhstan supports and welcomes China's growth agenda. We have resources for Chinese growth — China is a huge and important market to Kazakhstan and we are an important market for China," Idrissov said, adding that the two nations complement each other well.

Observers said the focus on long-term sustainable development by China and Kazakhstan offers a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation.

Feng Yujun, head of Russian studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said Kazakhstan's focus on sustainable development requires similar technologies to which China attached importance under its 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), so the two countries can work closely together.

Kazakhstan's long-term strategy highlights continuing growth and sustainable development.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev said in an address on Dec 14, two days before Independence Day, that the goal is to continue sustainable development into the 21st century while maintaining and building on existing achievements.

"By 2050 we want to have created a society based on a strong state and a developed economy with universal labor opportunities," he said.

Xing Guangcheng, a researcher of Central Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that based on favorable ties in the past, the development of Sino-Kazakh relations has great potential.