Wang Yi meets with Kazakh president, stresses vigilance against external forces

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday met with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Kazakhstan's capital Nur-Sultan, during which he stressed the importance of vigilance to external forces attempting to involve regional countries in major-power conflicts and to coerce countries to take sides.

The year 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Kazakhstan. Wang said that as friendly neighbors and permanent comprehensive strategic partners, China firmly supports Kazakhstan in pursuing a development path suited to its own national conditions and believes Kazakhstan will achieve lasting peace and prosperity.

Wang said the two countries are deeply concerned about the serious negative spillover impact of the Ukraine crisis. He noted that China hopes Central Asian countries can stay focused and remove external interference, strengthen coordination and cooperate to safeguard regional peace and stability.

"China has never sought geopolitical interests in Central Asia, and we will never allow external forces to disrupt the region," Wang said.

Tokayev appreciated China's fair position and would like to maintain close communication with China. He also advocated resolving international disputes through peaceful means.

External forces mainly refer to US-led forces that aim to force Central Asian nations to take sides, while Central Asian nations wish to preserve an independent status with no interference from other countries on their sovereignty and diplomacy, Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies in Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

External forces may also include the forces of terrorism and extremism, of which the impact to Central Asian nations has been increasing in recent years, Zhu added.

Pursuing a balanced diplomacy between great powers suits the national interest of Kazakhstan and it has been doing quite well even under in the Ukraine crisis and its large-scaled reform on its domestic political system. The US may take chances to break the balanced diplomacy and even create chaos within Kazakhstan, Zhu noted.

Wang also appreciated Kazakhstan's role in preparing for the third China+Central Asia (C+C5) foreign ministers' meeting and noted that China is willing to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with Central Asian neighbors.

Facing the complex international and regional security situations, China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and take effective measures to maintain regional peace and stability together, Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee made the remarks on Monday in a speech delivered via video link at the Parliamentary Assembly of the CSTO.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Collective Security Treaty and the 20th anniversary of the CSTO.