China lauds end of violence in Kazakhstan
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged China’s firm support to Kazakhstan in ending violence in the country and safeguarding security, during a phone call on Monday with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi.
Wang also stressed China’s willingness to jointly oppose interference and infiltration by any external forces. “After the storm comes the rainbow. We are convinced that under the strong leadership of President Tokayev, peace and stability will be fully restored, and Kazakhstan will emerge even more resilient and stronger from this dark hour,” Wang said.
Observers said China’s crucial role in maintaining regional peace and stability has been highlighted in dealing with the political turmoil in Kazakhstan, reflected in Kazakhstan’s full trust in China and appreciation for China’s practical support. Kazakhstan President KassymJomart
Tokayev claimed on Monday that the recent violent demonstrations were an “attempted coup d’état” by “armed fighters.”
He said the action had been coordinated by a “single center,” but did not name those responsible, BBC News reported. The president’s comments came during a virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other allied heads of state.
There was widespread speculation that the US was behind the violence and pulled the strings, though White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki refuted the accusations on January 5, calling rumors to the contrary “crazy Russian claims.”
The phone call between the foreign ministers and the Tokayev’s remarks revealed a highly likely color revolution and infiltration of external forces behind the coup, Yang Jin, an associate research fellow on Central Asia research, told the Global Times. Western NGOs have been working in Central Asia for many years, which is “a time bomb.”
They not only infiltrate locals with Western ideological values but also sow discord and agitate anti-government, anti-China and anti-Russia sentiments by holding various activities and publishing articles, said Yang.Some terrorist and separatist forces have long existed in Central Asia, not only from the Middle East and Afghanistan, but also indigenous terrorist forces.
They use popular demands to inflame emotions and thereby create riots to subvert the regime, said experts.Kazakh authorities on Monday for the first time linked the violent protest to Islamist extremist groups, saying that preliminary data shows the attackers include individuals who have military combat zone experience in the ranks of radical Islamist groups, local media reported.
In the call with Tileuberdi, Wang stressed China will ensure the safety and smooth operation of major China-Kazakhstan projects. Kazakhstan Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that peaceful protests were hijacked by terrorist, extremist and criminal groups to escalate tensions and violence, and Kazakhstan has been subjected to armed aggression by well-coordinated terrorist groups trained abroad.
The infiltration of external forces was also aimed at stirring up the security situation in Kazakhstan’s neighborhood, which is why China and Russia are highly concerned about this matter, Yang explained. “The three countries are interconnected politically, economically and culturally.
For example, they are all members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and along the lines of China Railway Express.””China cooperated with Kazakhstan in oil and gas even earlier than with Russia, which reflected the great importance of the strategic partnership between the two countries,” he said.