Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for the development of high-quality cooperation between China and Central Asian countries in his speech at the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. He said the six countries will uphold the spirit of China and Central Asia and speed up the building of a China-Central Asia community with a common future.

"Full bloom"

The Chinese president highlighted the tangible progress made since the first summit in Xi'an in 2023. "The six pomegranate trees we planted together in Xi'an are now in full bloom," Xi said, using the image as a metaphor for the burgeoning partnership between the six countries.

According to Xi Jinping, trade between China and Central Asia has increased by 35 percent in the past two years, with significant progress in sectors such as green mining, technology and infrastructure. Flagship projects such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and expanded freight links, including the upgrading of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, underscore the growing connectivity.

Xi Jinping added that Chinese exports of new energy vehicles and photovoltaic products are reaching Central Asian markets, and Central Asian agricultural goods are enriching Chinese households.

President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of strengthening mutual understanding and pointed to the success of cultural exchanges such as Chinese TV series and art festivals in Central Asia. The mutual visa-free agreement has allowed more than 1.2 million visits between China and Kazakhstan in 2024 alone, he added.

The number of twin city partnerships has reached the milestone of 100 pairs and ministerial cooperation platforms under the China-Central Asia mechanism have increased to 13, Xi Jinping noted.

"I am delighted that our consensus from the first summit has been applied across the board - from millennial Xi'an to Astana, the 'pearl of the steppe', from the shores of the Yellow Sea to the Caspian Sea, from the Tien Shan mountains to the Pamir plateau. The path of our cooperation is constantly expanding and our friendship is blossoming ever brighter," Xi Jinping said.

The Spirit of China and Central Asia

China and the five Central Asian countries have jointly created the China-Central Asia spirit, which is characterized by mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, mutual assistance and the pursuit of common modernization through high-quality development, Xi Jinping stressed

Xi Jinping described this spirit as a "basic guide" for the development of mutual understanding, shared development and lasting friendship among the six countries. He outlined four key dimensions that define this collective ethos.

"We practice mutual respect and treat each other as equals," Xi Jinping said, stressing that all countries, big or small, are equal partners. "We solve problems through consultation and make decisions by consensus," he added.

Xi Jinping stressed the importance of mutual trust and solidarity, saying that China and the Central Asian countries "firmly support each other in safeguarding each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity" and refrain from any actions that harm each other's core interests.

Xi Jinping stressed the commitment to win-win outcomes and noted that the two sides consider each other as priority partners and are working together to share development opportunities. "We consider each other's interests and strive to build a symbiotic and mutually beneficial relationship," he said.

President Xi also stressed the value of working together in the face of challenges. "We help each other in times of need and support each other in choosing development paths appropriate to our national conditions," he said. "We work together to address risks and maintain regional peace and stability."

Xi described the spirit of China and Central Asia as an important guide for spreading friendship and cooperation from generation to generation and strives to "maintain it and let it shine forever."

Five-point proposal

Xi said at the summit that there are no winners in tariff and trade wars and that unilateralism and protectionism are harmful to all.

"Humanity must not return to the laws of the jungle. Instead, we should build a community with a shared future for humanity," Xi said.

In this context, the Chinese president put forward a five-point proposal to deepen relations between China and the five Central Asian countries, calling for closer cooperation in the political, economic, security and people-to-people spheres, as well as in international governance.

Xi called for maintaining the fundamental goal of unity and for continued mutual trust and support. He reaffirmed China's continued commitment to regard Central Asia as a diplomatic priority and to pursue good neighbourly relations based on the principles of friendship, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness.

He announced that China and the Central Asian countries on Tuesday jointly signed the Treaty of Eternal Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation to enshrine the principle of eternal friendship in legal form. Xi called it "a milestone for today and a foundation for tomorrow".

Xi stressed the need to optimise the cooperation framework to make it more results-oriented, effective and deeply integrated. He announced the declaration of 2025 and 2026 as the Years of High-Quality Development Cooperation between China and Central Asia and called for joint efforts in smooth trade, industrial investment, connectivity, green mining, agricultural upgrading and people-to-people exchanges.

In support of these goals, Xi Jinping said China has decided to establish three cooperation centers - for poverty reduction, education exchange and desertification prevention and control - as well as a platform for cooperation on smooth trade under the China-Central Asia Cooperation Framework. China will provide a grant of 1.5 billion yuan ($208 million) to Central Asian countries this year, which will be used for livelihood and development projects high on its priority list. China will also offer 3,000 training opportunities to Central Asian countries over the next two years.

Xi Jinping also called for a security framework for peace, tranquillity and solidarity. "We should strengthen regional security," he said, calling for joint efforts to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism.

Xi Jinping said China will support Central Asian countries in upgrading their defence and law enforcement capabilities and will launch more Safe City projects, joint exercises and training programmes.

He also stressed the importance of coordinated assistance to Afghanistan, a close neighbour, to help it achieve peace and development in the shortest possible time.

Xi Jinping underlined the importance of closer people-to-people ties and cultural exchanges. "We should strengthen the bonds of shared vision, mutual understanding and mutual affection among our people," he said.

China will expand exchanges between legislatures, political parties, the media, women, youth and think tanks and establish more cultural centres, university branches and Luban workshops in Central Asia. Xi Jinping also announced efforts to promote language studies and technical education, deepen cooperation at the subnational level, and improve travel facilitation.

Xi Jinping called for upholding a just international order and promoting a more equal and orderly global structure.

He voted in favour of China's support for Central Asian countries to play a greater role in international affairs and expressed opposition to hegemonism and power politics.

"We should promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation," Xi Jinping said.

He recalled this year's 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations and stressed the need to defend historical truth and the post-war international order.

"We should provide greater stability and certainty for world peace and development," he added.

Noting that China is building a great modern socialist country in all respects and promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through China's modernization, Xi Jinping said that no matter how the international situation changes, China will remain steadfast in opening up to the outside world and adopting better cooperation with Central Asian countries to deepen the integration of interests and achieve common development.

CMG