Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev said it is "absolutely clear" that Taiwan is a part of China as the Central Asian nation looks to build ties with its eastern neighbor.
"There should not be two Chinas. Taiwan is part of China. The principle of the territorial integrity of all countries is enshrined in the United Nations Charter and that must be respected," Toqaev said in an interview with China's CCTV television channel that was published on May 12.
"Therefore, I would like to stress again: It is absolutely clear for us that Taiwan is part of China. And we do not have any doubts about it," Toqaev added.
Answering a question about concerns in some parts of the world about the strengthening of ties between China and five former Soviet republics -- including Kazakhstan -- in Central Asia, Toqaev said: "There must be no concerns about that."
"Our intentions are open [and] sincere. The fact is that China is the world's second economy and, therefore, we must recognize China's role, and we have to build very good relations with your country," Toqaev said.
Toqaev's interview comes less than a week before China's two-day summit with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The meeting focusing on strengthening economic and diplomatic ties will be held on May 18-19 in China's historic city of Xi'an on the ancient Silk Road.
China has invested billions of dollars to develop energy reserves in Central Asia.
In September last year, Chinese leader Xi Jingpin traveled to Kazakhstan on his first trip abroad since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The five tightly controlled former Soviet republics were part of the Soviet Union before gaining independence in 1991 and have been traditionally in the sphere of Moscow’s interests since the mid-19th century. Ties with China are on the rise, however, at a time when the Kremlin is also grooming its relations with Beijing as much of the West isolates it over Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Kazakhstan, which along with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan borders China's northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, has remained silent over accusations of human rights violations by Beijing targeting mostly Muslim, Turkic speaking Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other indigenous ethnic groups of the restive region.