China will hold its first China-Central Asia Five-Country Summit in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province on the 18th and 19th, reported on the 8th by Xinhua Network, Shinsangnet, and AFP News. did.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced on the same day that the summit, attended by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, was held at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.
Spokesperson Hua Chunying said that the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, whom President Xi Jinping had invited to the Xi’an Summit, would pay state visits to China from the 16th to the 20th.
The media pointed out that the summit will focus on strengthening economic and diplomatic relations between the five Central Asian countries and China.
China, the world’s second-largest energy consumer, has invested billions of dollars in developing energy resources in Central Asia, which is geographically adjacent to it.
In addition, Central Asia is a key region for the ‘One Belt, One Road’, a multi-trillion-dollar global infrastructure project.
China is strengthening its ‘good neighborly friendship’ policy with the aim of expanding its influence in Central Asia.
State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang presided over a meeting of foreign ministers of China and five Central Asian countries that opened in Xi’an on the 27th of last month.
At that time, the Chinese and Central Asian foreign ministers confirmed that they firmly support each other’s core interests, resolutely oppose external interference in internal affairs, and absolutely refuse to cause chaos and upheaval in Central Asia.
Central Asia, which belonged to the former Soviet Union, has been dominated by Russia, but since Russia’s war with Ukraine in February last year, China has stepped up to challenge it.
Central Asia is getting closer to China to the extent that China remains silent despite human rights abuses against the Muslim minority of Xinjiang Uighur, who are religiously and racially close.
Accordingly, the United States, which has entered into a strategy to encircle China, is also attempting to approach Central Asia.
US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln promised economic support by participating in the C5+1 Ministerial Meeting, a consultative body of the United States and five Central Asian countries held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on February 28.
The Joe Biden administration plans to expand its involvement in Central Asia to check Russia’s approach amid the protracted war in Ukraine.
Source: Donga
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