Interview: Xi'an summit opens new era in China-Central Asia cooperation, says Uzbek expert

Artists perform during a welcome ceremony for Central Asian leaders and their wives attending the China-Central Asia Summit in the Tang Paradise in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

The summit of the leaders of five Central Asian countries and China in the Chinese city of Xi'an has epochal significance and will open a new era in the cooperation between these countries, an Uzbek expert said.

TASHKENT, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The summit of the leaders of five Central Asian countries and China in the Chinese city of Xi'an has epochal significance and will open a new era in the cooperation between these countries, an Uzbek expert said on Friday.

The summit reviewed the achievements of Central Asia-China cooperation over the past three decades and "will contribute to the deepening of strategic mutual trust between the countries of the region and China, which are friendly neighbors and strategic partners," said Shavkat Alimbekov, a leading researcher at the International Institute of Central Asia in an interview with Xinhua.

It is becoming more and more "relevant" to maintain regional security and stability, and explore new directions and mechanisms for cooperation in fields including economy, trade, energy, transport, culture and humanities, the expert said.

Regarding plans for developing mutually beneficial cooperation between Central Asian countries and China, Alimbekov emphasized that the summit will further strengthen regional cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit in the future.

Tourists visit the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 15, 2023. The China-Central Asia Summit is set to take place in Xi'an, the capital city of China's Shaanxi Province, on May 18 and 19. (Xinhua/Song Weiwei)

The countries stand ready to build a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, which meets the interests of all regional parties and contributes to peace and prosperity on the Eurasian continent, he noted.

For Central Asian countries, China's solutions in investment, technology, agriculture, water conservancy, industry, machinery manufacturing, transport and other sectors of the economy are of great significance, the Uzbek expert pointed out.

Cooperation between Central Asian countries and China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is highly important, he said, adding that the two sides have achieved notable results in economic and trade cooperation in the past decade.

As a large, representative and inclusive platform for international cooperation, the BRI is of strategic significance to China and Central Asian countries, the expert underlined, saying that relations between Central Asian countries and China are at a high level and both sides are willing to push forward their bilateral ties.

Tourists take photos at the Datang Everbright City scenic area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Song Weiwei)

The expert believed that in recent years, relations between the countries of the region and China have gained great momentum.

Tashkent and Beijing have maintained mutually beneficial cooperation for many years, he said, adding that the dynamic bilateral relations are developing in an all-round way and will be stable in the long run.

Guided by leaders of the two states, "relations between Uzbekistan and China have reached a high level," said the expert, noting that the comprehensive strategic partnership will expand and economic ties will be strengthened in the new era.

Promoting cooperation between Uzbekistan and China and co-building long-term reciprocal projects in the region are in the interests of all parties, and will help boost regional stability and push for the integration of regional countries into the global economic and logistics systems, he said.

The China-Central Asia Summit will effectively inject new impetus into the all-round cooperation between Central Asian countries and China, building a new model of complementary and mutually beneficial cooperation, Alimbekov added.