BEIJING: China’s President Xi Jinping signed a treaty to raise the ties with Central Asian nations on Tuesday, as Beijing seems to elaborate on the cooperation on trade, energy and infrastructure with the resourceful region.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Beijing has increased efforts to increase economic relations with the central Asian nations traditionally in Russia’s sphere of influence, drawn by their strategic location and energy resources.
At a regional summit in the Kazakh capital Astana on Tuesday, XI, which praises a milestone, signed a treaty on “permanently good-neighbourness and friendly cooperation” with leaders in Kazakhstan, reported Kyrgyzstan, Tadsjikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, China’s official Xinhua-Nyhedbureau.
The summit this week is the second such collection after the pompous, initial collection in northwestern China in 2023. Both apartments have collapsed with meetings with G7 leaders.
“At present, the world is reviewing that the accelerated changes that are unseen for a century, and entering a new period of turbulence and transformation,” quoted Xinhua XI to say at a speech at the summit.
“Commercial War and Customs War produce no winners, and ensilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism are bound to harm others and himself,” he said in a thin blurred veil in the United States that had engaged in escalating tariffs with Beijing.
“China is ready to cooperate with Central Asian countries to protect international justice, oppose hegemonism and power politics,” XI said.
He also promised 1.5 billion yuan ($ 208.86 million) in grants to the Central Asian countries this year to support their livelihood and development projects and called for more cooperation in areas, including trade, minerals and agriculture.
Despite a trade weapon with the United States, Beijing has been eager to consolidate relations with his regional partners.
China’s two -way trade with the five Central Asian countries reached a record 286.42 billion yuan in the first five months this year, a 10.4% increase year by year, Xinhua reported with reference to Chinese customs.
Turkmenistan, a large provider of natural gas to China, is the only Central Asian nation with a trade surplus with China. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan’s trade deficit with China run into tens of thousands of billions.
Energy, mineral collaboration
In separate bilateral meetings with the regional leaders, XI called on expanded cooperation in natural gas, minerals, international rail and law enforcement, according to Summary, sent by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
In meetings with the Uzbek and Kyrgyz presidents on Tuesday, he called for progress against China-Kirgisistan-Uzbekistan Railway, an overland route that omgir Russia
The project has been discussed since the 1990s, but gained new importance after the sanctions against Russia resulted in the shipment between China and Europe avoiding sending goods via Russia.
The five former Soviet republics offer China -alternative routes to secure fuel and food in case of disturbance elsewhere.
In the long term, the Central Asia route could potentially help cutting freight transport times between China and Europe.
In a separate meeting with Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, Xi said “Both parties should expand the scope of natural gas cooperation, explore cooperation in non-resource fields and optimize the trading structure.”
