Experts from Central Asian countries said they were looking forward to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s participation in the second China-Central Asia Summit, expressing confidence that his attendance will further strengthen solidarity and cooperation between China and Central Asian nations and help build an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.
At the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Xi will attend the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana from June 16 to 18.
Alisher Tastenov, chief expert at the Asian Studies Department of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, hailed President Xi's participation in the summit as a major event not only for Kazakhstan, but for the entire Central Asian region. He expressed hope that the upcoming meeting will help elevate China-Central Asia cooperation to a new level.
"There is no doubt that President Xi Jinping's visit is a major event for not only Kazakhstan but also the entire Central Asian region. This reflects the high level of mutual trust between President Tokayev and President Xi, the leaders of our two countries, and fully demonstrates that the relationship between our two countries continues to deepen. Investors from China and Central Asian countries engage in cooperation across a wide range of sectors including agriculture, water resource utilization, digitalization and innovative development. I believe that the summit will point out the direction for the quality improvement and upgrading of China-Central Asia cooperation," he said.
The first China-Central Asia Summit was held in Xi'an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi in northwest China, in May 2023. The summit concluded with the Xi'an Declaration, which announced the official establishment of a mechanism for meetings among the heads of state of China and Central Asian countries.
Since the first summit, relations between China and the Central Asian countries have entered a new era, with cooperation between the two sides becoming deeper and more practical, injecting fresh momentum into regional development and delivering tangible benefits to the people.
"We have witnessed positive progress in all areas of cooperation since the first China-Central Asia Summit was successfully held in Xi'an, including economic cooperation, which is very important to us. Many Chinese enterprises have come to Kazakhstan to conduct business. Driven by media cooperation, relations between China and the Central Asian countries have also been continuously strengthened," said Kemelbek Oishybaev, head of the Kazakhstan National Media Association.
"The consensus reached in Xi'an has begun to bear fruit. The core quantitative indicator of all agreements is the growth in bilateral trade volume. As trade and investment cooperation strengthens year by year, we are seeing frequent visits by business delegations and a steady increase in exhibition participation," said Nurlan Kulbatyrov, first deputy CEO of QazTrade, Kazakhstan's Center for Trade Policy Development.
Experts from both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan said the China-Central Asia mechanism is dynamic and productive, creating a new model of multilateral cooperation in the Eurasian region.
"The China-Central Asia mechanism has become a very important platform for dialogue. Since the first China-Central Asia Summit, bilateral trade between Kyrgyzstan and China has grown even closer. We have witnessed many Chinese investment projects becoming active, along with an increase in direct investment. For the first time, we have also engaged in financial cooperation with China. Meanwhile, we have actively promoted the development of logistics chains, including the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway. We have every reason to believe that the China-Central Asia mechanism will become a dynamic platform capable of ensuring regional security and stability. There is no doubt that we are very fortunate to have China as a neighbor," said Daniyar Amangeldiev, first deputy chairman of Kyrgyzstan's Cabinet of Ministers.
"In his keynote speech at the first China-Central Asia Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for upholding mutual support, joint development, universal security, and everlasting friendship. Over the past two years, cooperation between China and the Central Asian countries has made substantial progress in these four areas. All Central Asian countries have aligned their national development plans or strategies with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), resulting in fruitful outcomes. President Xi's attendance at the second summit is of great significance," said Abdugani Mamadazimov, chief researcher at the Institute of Asian and European Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan.
Central Asian experts welcome Xi's participation in second China-Central Asia Summit
