Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 17 called on China and Central Asian countries to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and forge ahead toward the goal of building a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, Xinhua reported.
Xi made the remarks in his keynote speech at the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana hosted by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also attended the summit.
Xi pointed out that during their meeting in Xi’an two years ago, they jointly outlined the Xi’an Vision for China-Central Asia cooperation. Two years on, China and Central Asian countries have further deepened and substantiated Belt and Road cooperation, he said.
Xi called on the six countries to enhance cooperation with more practical measures.
To achieve this, he made five points.
First, China and Central Asian countries should stay committed to the fundamental goal of unity, and always trust and support each other, he said.
The six countries will sign together a treaty on eternal good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation to enshrine the principle of everlasting friendship in the form of law, he said.
Second, China and Central Asian countries should optimize the cooperation framework to make it more results-oriented, more efficient and more deeply integrated, Xi said.
Recalling that the six countries have agreed to designate 2025 and 2026 as the Years of High-Quality Development of China-Central Asia Cooperation, he said that all sides should focus the cooperation on smooth trade, industrial investment, connectivity, green mining, agricultural modernization and personnel exchanges, roll out more projects on the ground and foster new quality productive forces.
He said China has decided to establish three cooperation centers, i.e. on poverty reduction, on education exchange, and on desertification prevention and control, as well as a cooperation platform on smooth trade under the China-Central Asia cooperation framework.
Third, China and Central Asian countries should develop a security framework for peace, tranquility and solidarity, step up regional security governance, deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, jointly prevent and thwart extreme ideologies, and resolutely fight terrorism, separatism and extremism, so as to maintain peace and stability in the region, Xi said.
China will do its best to help Central Asian countries combat terrorism and transnational organized crime and safeguard cybersecurity and biosecurity, he said.
Fourth, China and Central Asian countries should cement the bonds of shared vision, mutual understanding and mutual affection between peoples, he noted, saying that China will enhance cooperation between legislatures, political parties, women, youth, media and think tanks with Central Asian countries, conduct in-depth exchange of governance experience, and is ready to set up more cultural centers, university branches and Luban Workshops in Central Asia to train more high-caliber talent for Central Asian countries.
Fifth, China and Central Asian countries should uphold a fair and equitable international order and an equal and orderly world structure, stand ready to work with all parties to defend international fairness and justice, oppose hegemonism and power politics, and promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, Xi said.
The leaders of the five Central Asian countries stated that the China-Central Asia mechanism has become an important platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation, as well as for advancing the economic and social development of Central Asian countries.
The Central Asian countries highly value the model of cooperation with China based on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and look forward to deepening all-round cooperation with China and expanding trade and investment, the five leaders added.
They also expressed the hope to jointly pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, promote cooperation in such fields as industry, agriculture, science and technology, infrastructure, new energy and connectivity, strengthen regional security collaboration, and enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges in fields like culture, education and tourism.
During the summit, Xi and the heads of state of the Central Asian nations signed the Astana Declaration of the second China-Central Asia Summit, and a treaty on eternal good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation.
The meeting also announced the signing of 12 cooperation agreements regarding the Belt and Road cooperation, facilitation of personnel exchanges, green mining, trade, connectivity, industry and customs.
The leaders also witnessed the inauguration of three China-Central Asia cooperation centers and a trade platform, namely the China-Central Asia poverty reduction cooperation center, the China-Central Asia education exchange cooperation center, the China-Central Asia desertification prevention and control cooperation center, as well as the China-Central Asia smooth trade cooperation platform.
They also agreed that China will host the third China-Central Asia Summit in 2027.
Photo: akorda.kz
