Key takeaways from 2nd China-Central Asia Summit in Astana

The second China-Central Asia Summit marks "a historic event" and opened a new chapter for a time-tested regional partnership, said Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin.

ASTANA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded on Wednesday his three-day trip to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, where he attended the second China-Central Asia Summit.

The summit produced a raft of consensuses across areas ranging from security and trade to regional development. Officials and analysts, who spoke to Xinhua, highlighted key themes of the summit, including Belt and Road cooperation and the deepening of China-Central Asia ties.

CHINA-CENTRAL ASIA SPIRIT

In his keynote speech at the summit, Xi proposed a China-Central Asia Spirit of "mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit and mutual assistance for the joint pursuit of modernization through high-quality development."

"We practice mutual respect and treat each other as equals. All countries, big or small, are equal," Xi said. "We handle issues through consultation and make decisions by consensus."

On elaborating mutual trust, Xi said, "We firmly support each other in safeguarding independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national dignity."

"We do not do anything harmful to the core interests of any party," he added.

When talking about mutual benefit, Xi said, "We view each other as priority partners, and share development opportunities together."

On mutual assistance, he stressed, "We help each other in time of need and stand together through thick and thin," adding that "we work together to address various risks and challenges, and uphold regional security and stability."

The China-Central Asia Spirit deeply reflects the essence of relations between China and the Central Asian countries, said Alikbek Dzhekshenkulov, former foreign minister of Kyrgyzstan.

This spirit will become a powerful driving force for future cooperation between China and Central Asian countries, helping to forge a closer community with a shared future, said Dzhekshenkulov.

NEW COOPERATION CENTERS

One of the key outcomes of the Astana summit is the inauguration of three cooperation centers and a cooperation platform on smooth trade within the China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism.

The institutions include the China-Central Asia poverty reduction cooperation center, the China-Central Asia education exchange cooperation center, the China-Central Asia desertification control cooperation center, as well as the China-Central Asia smooth trade cooperation platform.

"China is ready to share with Central Asian countries development experience and latest technological advances, promote connectivity in digital infrastructure, enhance cooperation on artificial intelligence, and foster new quality productive forces," Xi said at the summit.

These initiatives are "very important to each of us," said Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin outside the summit venue. "We hope that in a very short time, we will achieve a big success."

Muhriddin also said the second China-Central Asia Summit marks "a historic event" and opened a new chapter for a time-tested regional partnership.

BELT AND ROAD COOPERATION

At the summit, Xi called on China and Central Asian countries to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

On the sidelines of the summit, Xi also held separate bilateral meetings with the leaders of the five Central Asian countries, with a focus on the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

In talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Xi emphasized the importance of advancing the high-quality construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, a project launched last year.

While meeting with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Xi said that both sides should effectively implement the strategic alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative and Turkmenistan's development strategy to revive the Great Silk Road.

Xi also told Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Monday that high-quality Belt and Road cooperation should be used to improve cooperation between China and Kazakhstan.

In 2013, Xi first laid out his vision for building the Silk Road Economic Belt -- a key component of the initiative in Astana when delivering a landmark speech at Nazarbayev University.

Over the past decade, the BRI has grown from an aspiring vision into a high-quality platform for cooperation, encompassing daily logistics, trade and infrastructure development across the Eurasian continent, said Din Mukhamed Konakbayev, general manager of the Kazakh-Chinese trade and logistics company (Almaty) Ltd.

He noted that BRI infrastructure projects are driving more balanced regional development in Kazakhstan, particularly in the northern, western and southern regions, which previously had limited access to global logistics networks.

TREATY ON ETERNAL GOOD-NEIGHBORLINESS, FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION

Xi and the leaders of the five Central Asian nations signed the treaty on eternal good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation.

According to the treaty, the six countries reaffirmed their firm support for each country's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity as well as the principles of sovereign equality and the inviolability of borders.

All parties reiterated that they will not use force or threaten to use force, and will resolve disputes peacefully, said the treaty.

The signing of the treaty is to "enshrine the principle of everlasting friendship in the form of law," Xi said in his speech at the summit. "China consistently takes Central Asia as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy," he noted.

"This is a new landmark in the history of the relations between our six countries and a pioneering initiative in China's diplomatic engagement with its neighbors," Xi added.

NO WINNER IN TARIFF WARS

"There is no winner in tariff wars or trade wars," Xi said in his speech at the summit. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said he agrees with it.

"Unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism will surely backfire while hurting others," Xi said. "I always maintain that history should move forward, not backward; and the world should be united, not divided."

"Humanity must not regress to the law of the jungle. Instead, we should build a community with a shared future for mankind," Xi added.

SECURITY ON AGENDA

The six countries issued the Astana Declaration as an outcome of the summit. They agreed to jointly combat terrorism, separatism and extremism and strongly condemn all forms of the three forces.

The countries also pledged to battle threats such as cross-border infiltration of terrorist forces, drug smuggling, transnational organized crime and cyber crime, to ensure smooth and stable progress of cooperation projects and jointly respond to security threats, said the document.

In his talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Xi stressed that China and Tajikistan should further strengthen law enforcement and security cooperation and step up efforts to crack down on terrorism, separatism and extremism.

China and the five Central Asian countries also cooperate on security issues within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). China is set to host this year's SCO summit.

Xi also touched on the situation in the Middle East while holding talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. He said China is ready to work with all parties to play a constructive role in restoring peace and stability in the region.

Xi said all related parties should work to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East as soon as possible and avoid further escalation.

CHINA-CENTRAL ASIA MECHANISM

It was decided at the summit that China will host the third China-Central Asia Summit in 2027.

The meeting of heads of state under the China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism was launched in May 2023 with the inaugural summit held in Xi'an, a historic city in northwest China. At that gathering, leaders agreed to convene the summit every two years, alternating between China and Central Asian countries.

The mechanism was further institutionalized last year with the establishment of a secretariat in Xi'an.

The second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana marked the first time the gathering was held in a Central Asian country.

The Central Asia-China cooperation mechanism is a strategic platform aimed at strengthening cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries, said Afzal Artikov, chief researcher at the Center for Economic Research and Reforms under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Since its launch, he said, it has become an important vehicle for advancing cooperation across multiple fields and deepening political, economic and cultural ties between Central Asian nations and China.■