China and Central Asian leaders cap summit with friendship pact and aid pledge

China wrapped up its latest engagement effort in Central Asia on Tuesday with a 1.5 billion (US$209 million) yuan pledge towards livelihood and development projects in the region. The six participating countries in the second China-Central Asia Summit also signed a landmark permanent friendship pact. “China is willing to provide 1.5 billion yuan in grant assistance to Central Asian countries this year to support livelihood and development projects of common concern to each country,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his keynote address to the summit in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana. “Additionally, China will offer 3,000 training opportunities to Central Asian nations over the next two years.” Xi hailed the signing of the Treaty of Permanent Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation as a milestone in relations among the six nations, saying it represented “an innovative endeavour in China’s neighbourhood diplomacy – a contribution for our time that benefits generations to come”. China has similar treaties with Russia and Pakistan. Xi also stressed the need for cooperation in a world “entering a new period of upheaval and transformation”. “There will be no winners in the tariff and trade war. Supporters of protectionism and hegemonism will harm both others and themselves,” state news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying. “The world should not be divided but united; humanity must not return to the law of the jungle but work to build a community with a shared future for mankind.” Xi also announced the establishment of three cooperation centres under the China-Central Asia cooperation framework, focusing on poverty alleviation, educational exchanges, and desertification control, along with a trade facilitation platform. It is only the second time the summit has been held, with the first hosted by the Chinese city of Xian two years ago. The efforts reflect China’s deepened engagement with Central Asia, which in the past has centred on areas such as transport infrastructure. The region is a critical part of Beijing’s global development strategy, the Belt and Road Initiative, and China has invested heavily in energy pipelines, infrastructure and mining projects in Central Asia. But China is also looking to expand cooperation to sustainable development and renewable energy. Those investments were a major focus of Xi’s talks with each of the leaders of the five Central Asian states. In the meetings, Xi stressed the need to protect multilateralism and the global trade order – part of Beijing’s effort to position itself as a more reliable partner in the fallout from the US’ tariff war. Speaking with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Xi called for expanded gas cooperation and exploration of non-resource sector opportunities. Security was also on the agenda. “The two countries should further strengthen law enforcement, security, and defence cooperation, jointly combat the ‘three forces’ and improve collaboration on cybersecurity,” Xi said, referring to “terrorism, separatism and extremism”. Beijing sees these forces as threats to national and regional security, and Xi has stressed this position repeatedly in meetings with Central Asian leaders. Although China’s involvement in Central Asia has historically centred on economic investment, its security footprint is gradually increasing through joint counterterrorism exercises, training programmes and aid. This is the case in Tajikistan, a nation with a long border with Afghanistan that China worries could enable Uyghur terrorists to return to its far western region of Xinjiang to conduct operations. In his talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Xi called for deeper cooperation on law enforcement and security to combat the three forces. He also called for greater bilateral trade and investment, and development of transport infrastructure. Rahmon said Dushanbe would expand cooperation in emerging fields such as new energy, green industries, and artificial intelligence, and would “enhance coordination with Beijing to make the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) play a bigger role”. The SCO has been the main forum for engagement between China and the landlocked region as a whole. The political, economic, and security grouping was founded in 2001 by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Reflecting its commitment to “permanent neutrality”, Turkmenistan is the only Central Asian nation outside the organisation. Xi also held talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on Tuesday, describing the relationship between the two countries as at a “historical best”. He said the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway was a top priority but they should also cultivate new sources of growth, including in clean energy, green mining and artificial intelligence. The discussions came a day after China and summit host nation Kazakhstan exchanged cooperation documents covering trade, investment, technology, tourism and customs. Xi urged his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to accelerate cross-border railway projects and upgrades in port infrastructure. He also said: “Beijing and Astana should … act as each other’s strong backing in turbulent times.” According to Kazakhstan’s presidential office, Tokayev described relations between the two countries as stable and “not negatively affected by geopolitical challenges and upheavals, nor the international situation”.

China and Central Asian leaders cap summit with friendship pact and aid pledge

Beijing commits more than a billion yuan to a region at the heart of its infrastructure and security interests