Interview: China-Central Asia cooperation boasts great potential -- Kyrgyz expert

A Kyrgyz expert said the second China-Central Asia Summit is strengthening regional cooperation and delivering practical outcomes, driven by strong political will, growing interconnectivity and China's rapid development.

BISHKEK, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The second China-Central Asia Summit, taking place in Astana, Kazakhstan, is injecting fresh momentum into achieving tangible outcomes, a Kyrgyz political expert has said.

The political will of the leaders of China and Central Asian countries to promote sustainable development and deepen the China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism plays a key role, said Sheradil Baktygulov, director of the Institute of World Policy of Kyrgyzstan.

The leaders' participation in the summit, Baktygulov said, reflects mutual respect and a shared commitment to deepening the China-Central Asia partnership. It enables them to align on key issues, strengthen mutual trust, and forge a coordinated approach to regional security and development, he added.

"Despite the relative 'youth' of the mechanism, the China-Central Asia (cooperation) format has demonstrated practical results," the expert said, highlighting achievements like the deepening of political trust and dialogue among the countries, the convening of high-level meetings, and intensified coordination on security and regional stability.

In addition, two-way trade is growing, the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is accelerating, transport corridors are actively developing, the number of scholarships for students to study at Chinese universities is increasing, and exchanges in the field of tourism, science and technology are expanding, he added.

"Therefore, confidence is growing that the China-Central Asia Summit in Astana will expand the horizons of cooperation between our countries and give new impetus to achieving practical results for the benefit of the region's population," the expert said.

Commenting on the growing number of joint projects, expanding economic, trade and energy cooperation, and the adoption of visa-free regimes, the expert said that interconnectivity clearly shows that China and Central Asian countries are working to complement each other and maximize the practical benefits of cooperation.

Baktygulov also commended China's significant progress in recent years, particularly in economic growth, infrastructure development and improvement in people's standard of living.

"China's development is so rapid … China is the only country in the world that has all the industrial categories listed in the UN's industrial classification. Also, China has become a country that has eradicated (absolute) poverty," he said.

He attributed the achievements to the far-sighted leadership of the Communist Party of China, wise policymaking and its consistent implementation, painstaking work of the Chinese people and the country's inexhaustible potential. ■