Latest news with #China-CentralAsiaSpirit
The Star
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Xinhua think tank report offers forward-looking insights on China-Central Asia cooperation
ASTANA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- China-Central Asia cooperation in the new era is set to drive regional development, enhance well-being, and offer a model for building a community with a shared future for humanity, said a Xinhua think tank report released on Sunday. The three major China-proposed global initiatives should guide regional cooperation, said the report titled "Championing the China-Central Asia Spirit: Achievements, Opportunities and Prospects for Regional Cooperation," released by Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency. Those initiatives are the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. The two sides have forged a China-Central Asia Spirit of "mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, and mutual assistance for the joint pursuit of modernization through high-quality development." The report said that future cooperation should uphold the principles of mutual support, common development, universal security and everlasting friendship. China and Central Asian countries should work to strengthen the foundation of a regional community with a shared future, usher in a new chapter of prosperity, build a shared shield for security and stability, and foster deeper people-to-people ties, according to the report. With a shared commitment to serving the interests of their peoples and building a brighter future, China and Central Asia have made the historic choice to create an even closer China-Central Asian community with a shared future, demonstrating their determination to elevate cooperation to a higher level, with higher standards and greater quality, it said.
The Star
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Xinhua think tank report highlights fruitful results of China-Central Asia cooperation
ASTANA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- China and Central Asian countries have deepened their comprehensive cooperation, yielding successful outcomes across a broad spectrum, said a Xinhua think tank report released on Sunday. Seven key areas have witnessed tremendous results in ties: economic and trade exchanges, infrastructure connectivity, energy collaboration, emerging sectors, development capacity building, mutual learning among civilizations, and peace and security, said the report titled "Championing the China-Central Asia Spirit: Achievements, Opportunities and Prospects for Regional Cooperation" released by Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency. From rail corridors to renewable energy, from education to cultural exchange, China-Central Asia cooperation is delivering real benefits on the ground, laying a stronger foundation for shared growth. Economic and trade cooperation between China and Central Asian countries has grown in volume and quality in recent years, and China has become Central Asia's largest trading partner and a significant source of investment, according to the report. To foster sustainable growth, China and Central Asian countries have expanded their cooperation in science, technology, and education. The Luban Workshop has become a new platform for collaboration in international vocational education. Tailored to local development needs, Luban Workshops in Central Asia have created demand-driven training models to support regional poverty alleviation and industrialization. People-to-people exchanges are also flourishing, said the report. Central Asian tourism, culture and art festivals are witnessing growing popularity in China. Chinese films and TV dramas, such as Min-Ning Town and To the Wonder, have become hits in Central Asia.
The Star
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Xinhua think tank report underscores opportunities in China-Central Asia cooperation amid global uncertainties
ASTANA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Against the backdrop of a flagging global economy and rising protectionism, China-Central Asia cooperation continues to grow, forging new opportunities to bolster ties, said a Xinhua think tank report released on Sunday. No matter how the international situation changes, China will remain committed to high-level opening-up and deepen its cooperation with Central Asia, as highlighted in the report titled "Championing the China-Central Asia Spirit: Achievements, Opportunities and Prospects for Regional Cooperation" released by Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency. China's commitment to advancing high-level opening-up has created opportunities for Central Asian enterprises to tap into China's vast market and promote economies of scale. Platforms such as the China International Import Expo and the Silk Road International Expo have offered Central Asian companies new channels to expand their global reach. China and Central Asian countries have highly complementary industrial structures, offering ample opportunities for coordinated development of industrial and supply chains, according to the report. The two sides are aligning closely in areas such as renewable energy, digital innovation and agricultural modernization. Infrastructure projects like the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and the China-Europe Caspian Sea Express are transforming Central Asia into a pivotal transit hub, linking it with markets in Europe, the Middle East and South Asia, thereby enhancing the region's geoeconomic standing and offering fresh opportunities for diversified development. However, challenges remain. The rise of unilateralism, trade protectionism and global market volatility, is exerting pressure on collaboration. Moreover, non-traditional security threats, such as terrorism and extremism, as well as cybersecurity issues, add layers of complexity to the relationship between China and Central Asia. Addressing these challenges will require stronger coordination.
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
CGTN: China, Central Asian countries sign landmark treaty, vow to boost cooperation
CGTN published an article on the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, emphasizing the significance of China and the five Central Asian nations signing the Treaty of Permanent Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, and highlighting their shared commitment to strengthening partnerships through the Belt and Road Initiative to promote mutual development and regional cooperation. BEIJING, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a historic first, the China-Central Asia Summit was hosted in a Central Asian country, as leaders of China and five Central Asian nations gathered on Tuesday in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, for the summit's second edition. In a new landmark, the six countries signed the Treaty of Permanent Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation at the summit. The treaty is to enshrine the principle of everlasting friendship between the countries in the form of law, said Chinese President Xi Jinping in a keynote speech. 'It is a milestone for today and a foundation for tomorrow,' Xi said while addressing the summit, which was attended by the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Upholding the China-Central Asia Spirit Xi on Tuesday hailed the China-Central Asia Spirit, which embodies mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit and mutual assistance for the joint pursuit of modernization through high-quality development. In 2020, China proposed the establishment of a China-Central Asia mechanism. In 2022, the countries proposed upgrading the mechanism to the level of heads of state at a virtual summit marking the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. This proposal was realized at the inaugural China-Central Asia Summit in 2023 in the northwestern Chinese city of Xi'an, where leaders agreed that the top-level gathering would be held every two years, alternating between China and the Central Asian countries. Two years on, the consensus at the first summit has been implemented across the board, Xi said, adding that the path of cooperation is steadily widening, and the friendship is blooming ever more brightly. A recent CGTN poll found that 90 percent of respondents believe the China-Central Asia mechanism is not about rivalry or competition but a framework for both sides to seek stability, development, and future-focused cooperation. To date, China has established comprehensive strategic partnerships, signed Belt and Road cooperation documents, and implemented the vision of building a community with a shared future at the bilateral level with all five Central Asian countries. This fully demonstrates the high-level strategic mutual trust and the firm resolve to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, said Sun Weidong, secretary-general of the Secretariat of the China-Central Asia Mechanism. High-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative At the Astana summit, Xi called on the countries to act on the China-Central Asia Spirit, enhance cooperation with renewed vigor and more practical measures, promote high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and forge ahead toward the goal of a community with a shared future for the region. It was in the capital of Kazakhstan in 2013 that Xi first laid out his vision for jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt, an essential component of the BRI. Through this initiative, China and the region have seen robust cooperation in trade, the digital economy and connectivity. China has become the region's top trading partner and a major investment source. Data from the General Administration of Customs showed that China-Central Asia trade reached a record $94.8 billion in 2024, with China's cumulative investment in the region exceeding $30 billion. According to the CGTN poll, 92.4 percent of respondents agree that the BRI is an important international public good that supports high-level cooperation between China and Central Asia. Xi on Tuesday urged China and Central Asia to optimize their cooperation framework to make it more results-oriented, efficient and deeply integrated. Efforts should be made to focus cooperation on smooth trade, industrial investment, connectivity, green mining, agricultural modernization, and personnel exchanges, and to roll out more projects on the ground, he said. In order to promote relevant cooperation, China has decided to establish three cooperation centers focusing on poverty reduction, education exchange, and desertification prevention and control, as well as a cooperation platform for smooth trade, Xi announced. Cui Zheng, director of the Research Center for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asian Countries at Liaoning University, recognized the significance of the cooperation model given the current international landscape in a CGTN opinion piece. In a global environment marked by rising protectionism, the China-Central Asia partnership represents a new model of diplomatic engagement – one that respects independence, promotes mutual benefit and amplifies the voice of the Global South, Cui said. For more information, please click:
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'China-Central Asia Spirit' drives pursuit of harmony, unity, happiness and prosperity: China Daily editorial
BEIJING, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The rich outcomes of both the second China-Central Asia Summit and the series of bilateral meetings between the leaders of China and the five Central Asian countries serve to not only strengthen the momentum of the six countries' economic and trade cooperation, but also keep the whole region on the right track of development in an increasingly volatile world. That the Central Asian countries have been able to maintain their stability and generally sustain their stable development momentum these years despite the complicated external development environment has not been easy. Further sustainable socioeconomic development requires the reliable support of immediate neighbors to further unleash the potential of the Central Asian countries. As the world's second-largest economy that is dedicated to promoting shared development, free trade and win-win cooperation on an equal footing with mutual respect, China is a crucial strategic partner for the five countries. Their shared resolve to work together for the common good of the region has undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for Central Asia's continued development and stability. The collaboration between the two sides has been markedly energized since their first summit in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, in 2023, which saw the founding of the China-Central Asia mechanism. The mechanism, which consists of 13 ministerial-level cooperation platforms, with a Xi'an-based secretariat, has played a key role in boosting bilateral trade and cooperation over the past two years during which bilateral trade has surged 35 percent. The series of outcome documents and agreements on exchanges and cooperation inked in the Astana Summit, including a treaty of permanent good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation, show the two sides' joint commitment to working with each other to contribute more to regional and world stability, development and security. President Xi Jinping said in his keynote speech at the summit that the two sides' cooperation and exchanges have cultivated the "China-Central Asia Spirit", featuring mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit and mutual assistance, propelling common modernization by means of high-quality development. Under the guidance of the "China-Central Asia Spirit", as Xi advocated, the two sides' high-quality cooperation should focus more on unimpeded trade, industrial investment, interconnection, green minerals, agricultural modernization, people-to-people exchanges and improving people's livelihoods. To that end, China is willing to share its development experience and its latest technological achievements with the Central Asian countries, promote digital infrastructure connectivity, strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence, and cultivate new quality productive forces. This will help the Central Asian countries foster endogenous impetus for development. That China decided to establish three major cooperation centers for poverty reduction, education exchange, and desertification control, as well as a platform for unimpeded trade cooperation under the China-Central Asia framework shows the country's sincere desire to help its Central Asian partners tackle some systemic challenges that have long hindered their development. The partnership between China and the Central Asian countries is open, inclusive and free of geopolitical calculations. It therefore contributes greatly to the common interests of the whole region and beyond. Central to this partnership is their shared vision of sustainable development and mutual prosperity, where the Belt and Road Initiative serves as a catalyst for increased connectivity, investment, and cooperation across key sectors. By aligning their development strategies with the BRI, the Central Asian countries stand poised to realize their potential, while collectively combating common threats to regional stability, such as terrorism and transnational crime. Under the guidance of the heads-of-state diplomacy, the Astana Summit has drawn up a new blueprint for the future cooperation between the two sides, opening up a broader space for the joint construction of the Belt and Road, and charted a course for deepening their cooperation and relations for the foreseeable future. In an era marked by uncertainty and discord, the partnership between China and Central Asia stands as a beacon of hope and a testament to the enduring power of diplomacy, cooperation, and friendship across borders. As Xi said, Chinese culture advocates mutual care and mutual benefit; similarly a Central Asian proverb compares harmony and unity to happiness and wealth. China is ready to work with all relevant parties to carry forward the "China-Central Asia Spirit" and accelerate the building of the China-Central Asia community with a shared future. View original content: SOURCE China Daily Sign in to access your portfolio
