Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders of five countries in Central Asia have planted six grenadiers symbolizing solidarity and close cooperation between China and Central Asia after the first Central China Summit in Xi’an, in the Shaanxi province (northwest China), May 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)
In the vibrant heat from the beginning of the summer to Xi’an, the oldest ancient capital in China, six grenadiers stand gracefully near the site of the first central China-Asie summit which was held in May 2023, their branches folding under the weight of the fruit.
Planted two years ago by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders of the five countries of Central Asia, these small trees testify to the increasingly close and dynamic bond between China and Central Asia.
Based on past achievements, Mr. XI and his central Asian counterparts must meet later in the month in Astana, Kazakhstan, for a second summit in which they will forge closer links in terms of trade, security and connectivity through the heart of Eurasia.
Forge a new paradigm
The Xi’an 2023 summit marked the very first meeting of heads of state within the framework of this Cooperation Cooperation Mechanism. In the thread of the city’s age -old tradition, they decided to organize this top top every two years alternately in China and Central Asia.
Last year, this mechanism was institutionalized with the creation of a secretariat in Xi’an, chief town of Shaanxi, the province of origin of Mr. XI.
Photo showing the Yongning door in Xi’an, in the Shaanxi province (north-western China), on April 25, 2023. As the capital of the Shaanxi province, Xi’an, with a history of over 3,100 years, was the capital of 13 Chinese dynasties. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)
Mr. XI attaches great importance to the links of China with the region. According to him, Central Asia is at a strategic crossroads, connecting the east and the west, the North and the South.
“It is a foreign policy priority for China to develop friendly cooperation relations with the countries of Central Asia,” he said during his first visit to Central Asia after having become president of China in 2013.
Since then, the leader has gone eight times to this region, deepening bilateral partnerships, as well as through platforms such as Shanghai’s cooperation organization and the Conference on Interaction and Trusted Measures in Asia.
Today, Central Asia is the only region in the world where each country is a strategic partner in China. These partnerships, said Mr. XI, have opened a new way of good neighborhood and mutually beneficial cooperation, thus creating a new paradigm for international relations.
One of the strengths of the Xi’an summit was the signing of the Xi’an Declaration, in which Mr. XI and the presidents of the five countries in Central Asia were committed to working together to build a narrower community of destiny between China and Central Asia.
This commitment is aligned with the central idea of what is called “11th century”: building a community of the future shared for humanity. In particular, this vision was fully implemented at the bilateral level in Central Asia.
Sheradil Baktygulov, director of the Kyrgyzistan World Policy Institute, said that the shared political will of Mr. XI and the Central Asian leaders was essential to the sustainable development of Central China Cooperation.
“This cooperation not only strengthens bilateral links, but also lays the basics of a new multilateral collaboration model in the Eurasian region,” he added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping went to a welcome dinner with their guests on May 18, 2023 in Xi’an, in the Shaanxi province (northwest of China), on the occasion of the Central China Summit. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
The close personal relations between Mr. Xi and the leaders of Central Asia fuel these links. At the Xi’an summit, the Chinese president described his counterpart Tadjik Emomali Rahmon as “my old friend”. During his interviews with Mr. XI, President Uzbek Chavkat Mirzioïev described him as “dear brother”.
President Kazakh Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev, who is also a seasoned sinologist, arrived in Xi’an on the day of his 70th anniversary. Mr. XI said to him: “On this special occasion, your visit says a lot about the strength of our bilateral links and reaffirms your unique link to China”.
Revitalize the Silk Road
“Start sending!”. With this order, MM. XI and Tokaïev jointly launched the China-Europe Transcaspian Express Route during a ceremony held in July 2024 in Astana.
This opportunity marked the official establishment of a multidimensional connectivity network, incorporating highways, railways, airlines and pipelines, in order to better connect Asia to Europe via the Caspian Sea. It is expected that it becomes a dynamic artery of the belt and the road initiative (ICR).
While the old silk road was the scene of robust trade and cultural exchanges between China and Central Asia, Mr. XI sees in the region an important partner in modern cooperation within the framework of the ICR.
Aerial photo taken by a drone on June 26, 2024 showing the Chine-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) logistics cooperation base in Lianyungang, in the Chinese province of Jiangsu (East). (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng)
In September 2013, also in Astana, Mr. XI delivered a historic discourse at Nazarbaïev University, where he exposed for the first time his vision of the construction of the economic belt of the Silk Road, a key element of the ICR.
“We can actively discuss the best way to improve cross-border transport infrastructures,” he said, “and work on the establishment of a transport network connecting East Asia, West Asia and South Asia in order to facilitate economic development and movements in the region.”
Over the years, this vision has gradually become a reality. Thus, the laying of the first stone of the Chine-Kirghizstan-Ouzbekistan rail line was held last December in the Kirghize border town in Jalalabad. In a letter of congratulations, Mr. XI called to make this railway a “new demonstration project” as part of the ICR.
The line will start from the old hub of the silk road that is Kashgar, in the Ouïgoure autonomous region of Xinjiang in China, will cross the Torugart pass to the Kyrgyzstan, will go to the west via Jalalabad and reach the city of Andijan, in eastern Uzbekistan.
This railroad, said President Kyrgyz Sadyr Japarov, is not only a transport corridor, but serves as a significant strategic bridge between the countries of the East and the West.
Cooperation within the framework of the ICR has effectively stimulated trade, travel and exchanges in the region. In 2024, China trade with Central Asia reached a record level of $ 94.8 billion, partially fueled by an booming cross -border electronic commerce sector. China is today the first trading partner in Central Asia and the main source of investment.
Tadjikistan has become the first country to sign a memorandum of understanding with China concerning the economic belt of the Silk Road in 2014. Since then, collaboration has produced tangible results, ranging from new motorways and power plants to new urban landmarks, many of which have been personally defended by Mr. XI.
Students acquire skills at the Luban workshop in Douchanbé, Tadjikistan, May 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)
Tadjikistan also houses the first Luban workshop in Central Asia, a Chinese vocational training center which has already enabled more than 1,500 students to acquire practical skills in engineering, architecture, water management and environmental protection, thus preparing talents for the future development of the country.
During a state visit to the country in 2024, Mr. XI told Mr. Rahmon: “I saw more prosperous Tajikistan”.
Weaving cultural tapestries
In the fall of 2022, during a visit to Samarcande, a historic city on the Silk Road, Mr. XI offered the Ouzbek Chavkat Mirzioïev president a special gift: a miniature representing Khiva, a historic outpost of the Silk Road.
Khiva is the first Chinese cultural heritage preservation project in Central Asia. Thanks to years of restoration carried out by Chinese experts, the old city has taken on a new appearance.
Photo taken on September 21, 2023 showing historical sites of the ancient city of Khiva, Uzbekistan. (Xinhua/li muzi)
“The preservation and restoration of the historic sites of Khiva, a project launched during my visit to Samarcande in 2013, were carried out well, which further strengthened the charm of this ancient city,” Xi wrote in a platform published before his 2022 visit to Uzbekistan.
During a previous trip to the country in 2016, Mr. XI had met Chinese experts working on the project. “Be sure to protect cultural relics well,” he asked them.
Over the years, joint archaeological efforts between researchers in China and Central Asia have multiplied in the region, especially in the ancient city of Rahat in Kazakhstan and the former Buddhist temple of Krasnaya Rechka in Kirgyzstan.
Mr. XI has repeatedly stressed that friendship between China and Central Asia was anchored in history. Most times, he spoke of the legacy of Zhang Qian, the envoy of the Han dynasty who traveled west over 2,100 years ago and who paved the way for a friendship and sustainable exchanges between China and the region. He also insisted on the need to “advance our traditional friendship”.
During his state visit to Kazakhstan in 2024, Mr. XI inaugurated, with Mr. Tokaïev, the Kazakhe branch of the University of the language and culture of Beijing, the establishment where President Kazakh studied Chinese in the 1980s. Mr. Xi expressed his hope that the new school would strengthen the mutual understanding between the two peoples, in particular the young generation.
During his visit, Mr. Xi met a group of schoolchildren who praised him in Mandarin and sang a Chinese song. Some of them expressed their dream of one day studying at the University of Tsinghua, the Alma Mater of Mr. XI.
“I also wish, with all my heart, that you can study in good universities in the future. And you are welcome to continue your studies in China,” said the Chinese president, smiling.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Astana, Kazakhstan, on July 2, 2024, for the 24th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council and a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of President Kazakh Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
On the broader impact of these exchanges, the Ouzbek Sharofiddin Tulaganov political observer noted that within the framework of the central China-Asie cooperation mechanism, mutual learning between civilizations will be considerably strengthened.
In the complex international environment of today, he added, exchanges between institutionalized peoples like these will inject a precious cultural dynamic in the safeguarding efforts of regional peace and promoting shared development.
