Hu wraps up Central Asia state visits

Energy deals are latest effort to cement key regional ties

ASTANA, KaZAKHSTAN - China and Kazakhstan have signed contracts on civil nuclear energy and a second natural gas pipeline as Chinese President Hu Jintao completed his second visit to the Central Asian neighbor within six months.

In December Hu traveled to the Central Asian countries to inaugurate, together with his regional counterparts, the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline that supplies Central Asian natural gas to China to sustain its rapid economic growth.