Liang Liming (right), vice governor of Zhejiang and Chen Zhou, vice chairman of CCPIT visit China Pavilion at the 2017 Astana Expo on June 23.

Zhejiang, one of the most prosperous provinces in China, conducted comprehensive and in-depth discussions with Kazakhstan about deepening trade and economic ties between the two sides during a special event at the 2017 Astana Expo on June 23.

Zhejiang was the star of the 14th day of the global expo, which was dubbed Zhejiang Day in honor of the province in East China.

The day opened with the signing of a series of agreements between the Zhejiang and Kazakh governments and companies and industry associations from the two countries.

World-leading bulk commodities e-commerce platform Zhejiang Jumore E-commerce Co Ltd signed a strategic cooperation agreement with several partners in Kazakhstan, including the Astana government and Astana International Financial Center, to develop trade, investment and finance links.

Jumore E-commerce also inked a deal with Kazakhstan's national postal service to work together more closely on logistics.

The Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) also signed a memorandum of understanding with a Kazakhstani chamber of commerce, while Zhejiang Windey Co Ltd and Zhejiang Energy Group confirmed deals allowing them to expand into the Central Asian country.

Chen Zhou, vice chairman of CCPIT, addressed the ceremony. "Zhejiang is experienced in exploiting and utilizing energy and I believe this special Zhejiang Day event is not only a showcase of the province's development, but also a platform for close exchanges," he said.

Zhejiang's vice governor Liang Liming said that the event was of great significance to her home province and that holding Zhejiang Day showed that the province is playing an active part in China's Belt and Road Initiative. She added that she expected the event to benefit the comprehensive cooperation between Zhejiang and Kazakhstan.

Magauov Asset Maratovich, vice minister of energy of Kazakhstan, revealed that in the future Kazakhstan will promote talks with financial institutes in China like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to further strengthen Sino-Kazakh ties in the energy sector and actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Zhejiang Day also featured a series of cultural performances by groups from the province, including a performance of the renowned Yueju Opera The Butterfly Lovers, the folk ballad Tea Picking and demonstrations of ancient artistic techniques such as rice sculpture and watercolor board printing.

A total of 85 companies from Zhejiang are taking part in the expo, from fields as diverse as energy, environmental protection, e-commerce and chemical engineering.

Magauov Asset Maratovich, vice minister of energy of Kazakhstan, addresses the opening ceremony of Zhejiang Day, a special event launched by Zhejiang province at the Astana Expo on June 23.

Guests of the Zhejiang Day watch a tea art performance in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan on June 23.