The China-Central Asia Summit was successfully held at the Xi’an International Convention Center On 19 May. Chinese President Xi Jinping together with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan jointly met the press.
President Xi noted that he had just held a successful China-Central Asia Summit with the presidents of the five Central Asian countries. They reviewed the history of friendly exchanges between China and Central Asia, took stock of our cooperation outcomes, summed up successful experience, and built new consensus. They jointly signed the Xi’an Declaration of the China-Central Asia Summit, adopted a list of summit outcomes, and charted a blueprint for the future development of China-Central Asia relations.
President Xi stressed that facing profound changes unseen in a century, and bearing in mind the fundamental interests and bright future of our peoples, the six countries are determined to work together to rise up to challenges, foster a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
The six countries will firmly support each other on issues concerning our respective core interests such as sovereignty, independence, security and territorial integrity, respect the development path chosen based on each other’s national conditions, and firmly oppose interference in internal affairs by any force or under any pretext. Central Asian countries fully recognize the significance of the Chinese path to modernization for the world’s development, and reiterate their firm commitment to the one-China principle.
The six countries will take the 10th anniversary of Belt and Road cooperation as a new starting point. Efforts will be made to build better synergy amongdevelopment strategies, promote trade liberalization and facilitation, expand industrial and investment cooperation, further develop transport corridors connecting China and Central Asia, support the establishment of a China-Central Asia energy development partnership, encourage cooperation on high technologies, andensure food security in the region. Together, we will foster a new cooperation paradigm featuring high-level complementarity and mutual benefit
The six countries will deepen people-to-people exchanges across the board by actively cooperateng on sports, archaeology, tourism, medical and health care and other areas. We will ensure the success of the Year of Culture and Arts for the Peoples of China and Central Asian Countries (China-Central Asia youth arts festival), establish culture centers in each other’s countries, expand mutual visits, encourage youth exchanges, and jointly implement the “Cultural Silk Road”program. China will continue to providee government scholarships to young students of Central Asian countries, set up more Luban Wworkshops and traditional medicine centers in Central Asia, and help them develop high-caliber talents.
The six countries will resolutely combat all forms of terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as drug trafficking and transnational organized crimes. They will step up cooperation on bio-security, cyber-security, and disaster relief, and continue to help the Afghan people to maintain security and stability, and realize peace and reconstruction. They will work together to build a Central Asia that features no-conflict and enduring peace.
The six countries will abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, firmly uphold multilateralism and the universally recognized international law and norms governing international relations, safeguard international fairness and justice, and make the international order and global governance system fairer and more equitable. All sides have expressed support for and readiness to operationalize the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, recognizing their significance for world peace and development, and for progress of human civilization.
Taking the opportunity of this Summit, the six countries have officially inaugurated the China-Central Asia Summit Mechanism, with China and Central Asian countries taking turns to host the biennial summit. The next summit will be held in Kazakhstan in 2025. The six countries will work to flesh out the mechanism, andestablish a permanent secretariat in China. They will make transport, commerce, investment and industry, agriculture, energy, customs and people-to-people exchanges their priority areas, and take solid and efficient steps to promote all-dimensional and deep-going cooperation among the six countries.
President Xi noted that this Summit has been a good start for cooperation. He believes that with joint efforts, China’s relations with Central Asian countries will forge ahead like a ship braving all winds and waves, offer new vitality to the development and revitalization of the six countries, and inject strong, positive energy to peace and stability of the region.
Editor in Chief : Mewati SItaram
