China’s Xi Jinping hosts Central Asian leaders in a “milestone” summit

Asia-Pacific, News May 19, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

The leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan gathered in Xi’an city of China on May 18, 2023, for the first-ever Central Asian leaders summit hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The two-day summit features around 20 bilateral and multilateral events focusing on new cooperation mechanisms on topical international and regional problems. The leaders of the six countries would sign several important policy documents and agreements related to the regional economy, trade, food, climate change, and connectivity.

China recorded more than $70 billion worth of trade with the Central Asian countries by the end of 2022, a 40% increase from the last year. China’s intense economic and political engagement with the former Soviet states is increasing rapidly in recent times overshadowing Russia’s historic economic influence in the region.

Some Central Asian states are also increasingly standing up to Moscow, challenging its hegemony in the region. One of the most prominent examples in this regard is Kazakhstan’s reluctance to recognize Russian-controlled regions in eastern Ukraine.

Bilateral meetings

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was the first to arrive in Xi’an. Tokayev met with President Xi Jinping in a bilateral meeting format where Xi greeted him and wished him his 70th birthday. Kazakhstan is China’s largest trading partner in the Central Asian region.

“We have a common goal, to intensify bilateral relations,” Tokayev told Xi. “We are also united by the desire to strengthen regional and international security and cooperation,” he added. After their meeting, Xi and Tokayev jointly declared that the two countries would build an “enduring friendship” and share “weal and woe”.

^{Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, offered the heads of state from the five Central Asian countries a grand welcoming ceremony in Xi’an, China, on May 18, 2023. (Image Credit: Xinhua/via Chinadaily)}

Chinese President Xi Jinping also held talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Xi congratulated Mirziyoyev on Uzbekistan’s recent successful referendum and the adoption of the new Constitution.

During the meeting two leaders expressed confidence that through cooperation and bilateral China and Uzbekistan will enjoy broader prospects and the development of Mirziyoyev’s vision for “New Uzbekistan” will yield greater outcomes.

The summit of Central Asian leaders comes at a time when the high-profile G7 summit is taking place in Japan. Analysts and observers believe that by hosting the first-ever Central Asian leaders’ summit, without Moscow, China is apparently shifting patterns of power and influence in former Soviet states where Russia has long been influential.

Moscow has a deep integration into the political, economic, and security dynamics of the Central Asian region. Although China is not interested in overthrowing Russia’s role as the regional security leader, it intends to reap benefits from Central Asia’s economic potential.