Media representatives from multiple Central Asian countries attending the second China-Central Asia Summit praised Chinese President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the summit as timely and resonant, while applauding the remarkable progress in China-Central Asia relations.
Xi delivered the keynote speech, titled "Championing the China-Central Asia Spirit for High-Quality Cooperation in the Region", on Tuesday at the summit held in Astana, Kazakhstan.
"The statements from Chinese President Xi Jinping are very relevant and very significant in our time, because Kazakhstan shares China's approach to a stable world order and mutual respect. This is what underlies our foreign policy. And Xi Jinping's pledge of 1.5 billion yuan (about 208.8 million U.S. dollars) to five Central Asian countries and free training courses is precisely a big contribution to strengthening the partnership of our countries. Therefore, these two statements were especially memorable to me," said Togzhan Gani, a journalist from Time.kz, Kazakhstan's leading news portal.
"This is considered a continuation of the first summit, which took place in Xi'an. Xi'an is the ancient capital of China, where the Great Silk Road began, and the city of Merv in Turkmenistan is the gateway to the Silk Road. It is symbolic that the first China-Central Asia summit began in this city. This is comparable to the Belt and Road Initiative and Turkmenistan's initiative to restore the Great Silk Road," said Meya Alimova, editor-in-chief of the Neutral Turkmenistan Newspaper.
"The Chinese have a proverb: 'He who travels with friends goes further.' We can say that China and Central Asia are these friends, and they've done very well to conduct their relations this way," said Gaibulla Kuchkarov, a journalist from Uzbekistan 24 TV Channel.
Attending journalists hail Xi's speech at second China-Central Asia Summit
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
