As Beijing seeks to strengthen further commercial, energy, and infrastructure cooperation with the resource-rich area, Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a pact on Tuesday to strengthen ties with Central Asian countries. Xi met with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan at the Astana summit.
Since gaining their independence, the five Central Asian nations—which Russia ruled until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991—have attracted attention from powerful nations such as China, the US, and the EU.
As Xi urged deeper connections with the resource-rich area, the group inked a covenant of “eternal” friendship during the meeting. In remarks by Chinese news agency Xinhua, Xi stated, “We should… strengthen cooperation with a more enterprising attitude and more practical measures.”
Because of its advantageous location between China, Russia, the Middle East, and Europe, Central Asia is also regarded as a major logistical centre. Xi reiterated his criticism of US President Donald Trump’s trade policy while speaking to Western leaders attending the G7 in Canada on the opposite side of the globe. Xinhua cited him as adding, “Trade wars and tariff wars have no winners.
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