ASTANA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Government officials and experts from China and Kazakhstan have gathered here to explore opportunities for cooperation in high-tech industries, including artificial intelligence and cross-border e-commerce.

Speaking at the first China-Kazakhstan Forum on Exchanges and Cooperation in High-Tech Industries held in the Kazakh capital on Sunday, Kazakhstan's Vice Minister of Trade and Integration Aset Nusupov said that digital transformation plays a vital role in ensuring stable economic growth.

He said he believes active cooperation with China in this field could not only strengthen bilateral economic ties but also help chart a new course for continued technological development.

Liu Gang, secretary-general of the Belt and Road Studies Network, said that China-Kazakhstan cooperation is at a new starting point in history and that the two sides can explore more opportunities for cooperation through the event.

"China is not only a major trading partner but also a key innovation hub," said Diana Nazarbayeva, director of International Business Development at Kazpost, the national postal service of Kazakhstan. She added that long-term and strategic cooperation with Chinese e-commerce platforms, logistics firms and infrastructure partners holds great promise.

Li Kangchao, general manager of Beijing Polyking New Horizons Technology Industry Co., Ltd., said he expects cooperation with Kazakh partners to deepen in areas such as e-commerce infrastructure development, cross-border settlement systems and e-commerce talent training.

During the event, the Beijing company signed an agreement with Kazpost on e-commerce platform cooperation.

The first forum, held by the New Media Center of Xinhua News Agency, brought together government officials, business leaders and media representatives from both countries. ■