China and Central Asia to Forge New Cooperation Framework
High-level discussions aim to enhance Belt and Road Initiative cooperation and regional connectivity.
During a recent press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun announced the upcoming second China-Central Asia Summit, where leaders from China and Central Asian nations are set to collaboratively formulate a new blueprint for future cooperation.
This summit emphasizes the importance of enhancing collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and aims to establish a more robust community with a shared future between China and Central Asia.
Guo Jiakun underscored that Central Asia has been pivotal to the BRI, being the region where the initiative was initially proposed.
All five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan—have entered into cooperation agreements under the framework of the BRI, reflecting the region's status as a leader in high-quality cooperation.
According to Guo, trade between China and the Central Asian countries reached a record 674.15 billion yuan (approximately $94 billion) in 2024, marking a significant 116 percent increase compared to the figures recorded in 2013. This growth in trade underscores the deepening economic ties between the nations involved.
He highlighted specific projects such as the China-Kazakhstan Crude Oil Pipeline and the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline as exemplars of a mutually beneficial cooperation model that enhances energy security and drives regional development.
Additional infrastructure initiatives, including the China-Tajikistan highway, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway, and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, have also advanced regional connectivity and trade facilitation.
The focus on high-quality BRI cooperation has increasingly become a strategic pillar of China-Central Asia relations.
The areas of practical collaboration have expanded to encompass the digital economy and green transition, aligning with global sustainability goals.
Guo also noted the recent mutual visa exemption agreements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as further steps toward easing travel and promoting exchanges.
Cultural and people-to-people exchanges are reportedly on an accelerated path, fostering closer ties among the populations of the participating nations.
The Luban Workshops initiative, aimed at vocational training, has gained traction, reinforcing educational and technical cooperation between China and Central Asia.
This summit emphasizes the importance of enhancing collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and aims to establish a more robust community with a shared future between China and Central Asia.
Guo Jiakun underscored that Central Asia has been pivotal to the BRI, being the region where the initiative was initially proposed.
All five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan—have entered into cooperation agreements under the framework of the BRI, reflecting the region's status as a leader in high-quality cooperation.
According to Guo, trade between China and the Central Asian countries reached a record 674.15 billion yuan (approximately $94 billion) in 2024, marking a significant 116 percent increase compared to the figures recorded in 2013. This growth in trade underscores the deepening economic ties between the nations involved.
He highlighted specific projects such as the China-Kazakhstan Crude Oil Pipeline and the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline as exemplars of a mutually beneficial cooperation model that enhances energy security and drives regional development.
Additional infrastructure initiatives, including the China-Tajikistan highway, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway, and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, have also advanced regional connectivity and trade facilitation.
The focus on high-quality BRI cooperation has increasingly become a strategic pillar of China-Central Asia relations.
The areas of practical collaboration have expanded to encompass the digital economy and green transition, aligning with global sustainability goals.
Guo also noted the recent mutual visa exemption agreements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as further steps toward easing travel and promoting exchanges.
Cultural and people-to-people exchanges are reportedly on an accelerated path, fostering closer ties among the populations of the participating nations.
The Luban Workshops initiative, aimed at vocational training, has gained traction, reinforcing educational and technical cooperation between China and Central Asia.
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