Central Asia forges ties with Beijing
Regional pact expected at joint meeting of six leaders as Xi touts ‘enduring friendship’ during bilateral talks
Central Asian heads of state converged in China’s historic city of Xian yesterday for oneon-ones with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to seal pledges of “enduring” friendship, paving the way for a summit expected to result in a regional pact.
The bilaterals set the stage for a group huddle today, the first in-person gathering of the six leaders, where Xi would deliver an important speech, China’s foreign ministry said.
An important political document would also be signed.
Across the city of Xian, from where the ancient Silk Road linked imperial China with civilisations to its west over a millennium ago, banners, billboards and even taxi signs were set up to promote the summit.
China is intensifying its economic and political engagement with the former Soviet states as Russia channels what remaining resources it has into the war in Ukraine.
Some Central Asian states are increasingly standing up to Moscow, with Kazakhstan not recognising Russian-controlled regions in eastern Ukraine to
Tajikistan demanding more respect from the Kremlin.
The first head of state to arrive in Xian was President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan China’s largest trading partner in Central Asia.
When Tokayev met Xi on Wednesday, the Chinese leader greeted him warmly and wished him a happy 70th birthday.
“We have a common goal to intensify bilateral relations,” Tokayev told Xi.
“We are also united by the desire to strengthen regional and international security and co-operation.”
After their meeting, Xi and Tokayev jointly declared that the two countries would build an “enduring friendship” and share “weal and woe”.
They also agreed to ensure the safe and stable operation of the Kazakh section of the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline, and also deepen oil and uranium co-operation.
On the summit’s sidelines, state-owned Chinese energy giant Sinopec and Kazakhstan’s KayMunayGaz agreed key terms for a potential investment
in a polyethylene project in Western Kazakhstan’s Atryau region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Kazakh president and affirmed the ties of their countries, according to
Tass news agency. Putin was not in China, with Russia not part of the China-plus-Central Asia format.
With Kazakhstan setting the collaborative tone for other bilateral meetings, Kyrgyzstan’s
President Sadyr Japarov told Xi that he was keen to deepen trade, economic and investment links.
“There are no political disagreements or unresolved issues between our countries,”
Japarov said. Two-way trade between China and Central Asia hit a record $70bn (R1.36-trillion) last year, with Kazakhstan leading with $31bn (R602bn), as China seeks deeper economic links in its quest for greater food and energy security.
Kyrgyzstan came next with $15.5bn (R301bn), then Turkmenistan with $11.2bn (R217bn), Uzbekistan with $9.8bn (R190bn) and Tajikistan with $2bn (R38.9bn).
“We’ve been supporting exactly this type of integration between China and Central Asia,” Asian Development Bank chief economist Albert Park said.
“Under that framework, we’re trying to reduce trade barriers among the countries, harmonise trading standards to promote better integration, and just more forums where government officials can talk and try to develop standards to promote more trade,” Park said in Beijing.
Xi’s show of solidarity with Central Asia conspicuously coincides with a meeting of the G7leaders in Japan.