China and Kazakhstan have highlighted closer cooperation in energy, with both sides seeking to build on Belt and Road Initiative projects that have turned the Central Asian nation into a key transit hub between China and Europe.

In a meeting between Premier Li Qiang and Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov in Dalian, Liaoning province, on Tuesday, Beijing expressed its willingness to work with Astana on deepening cooperation in energy and mineral resources, Xinhua reported.

Addressing the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian earlier on Tuesday, Bektenov pointed to opportunities for deeper cooperation in energy and green development, while positioning Kazakhstan as a key transit hub linking China and Europe.

“Today, relations between our two countries are at an unprecedentedly high level and continue to advance steadily across all areas of cooperation,” he told a panel discussion at the gathering, also known as Summer Davos.

The belt and road trade development strategy – first unveiled by President Xi Jinping in Kazakhstan in 2013 – had opened a “new chapter” in Eurasian connectivity, Bektenov said, adding that around 85 per cent of rail trade between China and Europe passed through Kazakhstan.

The country had invested more than US$35 billion in transport and transit infrastructure over the past 15 years, including logistics hubs and railway projects linked to China, he added.