Guard of honour: Ceremony welcomes the president of Kazakhstan to China

Members of a military honour guard prepare for a welcome ceremony for Kazakhstan’s president Nursultan Nazarbayev outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Chinese premier Li Keqiang met with Mr Nazarbayev, during which he called for closer economic co-operation between the two countries.

Mr Li hailed the traditional friendship and co-operation between China and Kazakhstan, saying they are improving increasingly. Earlier in the day, president Xi Jinping met with Mr Nazarbayev and held discussions to map out the future of bilateral relations.