Xi's speech in Astana wins global acclaim

Experts said that the China-Central Asia Spirit, built on China's commitment to the principle of mutual benefit in a good-neighborly and friendly policy setting, establishes a solid basis for ushering in deeper collaboration and enduring friendship between China and Central Asian countries.

President Xi Jinping said at the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, that China and the five Central Asian countries 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", thanks to their collective efforts over the years.

In a keynote speech delivered at the summit on Tuesday, Xi called for acting on the China-Central Asia Spirit, enhancing cooperation with renewed vigor and more practical measures, promoting high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and forging ahead toward the goal of building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also attended the summit.

Khalid Taimur Akram, executive director of the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future in Islamabad, said: "President Xi's speech reflected a bold vision for regional cooperation and global harmony. Amid a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and global economic uncertainty, his address emphasized the strength of China-Central Asia relations as a model of diplomatic engagement, shared prosperity and regional connectivity."

The articulation of the China-Central Asia Spirit laid a robust foundation for a new era of modernization through high-quality development, he said.

Najla Alzarooni, a researcher at the College of Public Policy of the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, said that the China-Central Asia Spirit, aiming at the joint pursuit of modernization through high-quality development, is needed and is logical for the region.

"President Xi's speech reflects China's consistent effort to contribute to global norms in a more inclusive and cooperative way, which is welcomed in the Middle East," she said.

Renat Bekturov, governor of the Astana International Financial Centre, said the summit marks a pivotal moment in regional diplomacy, underscoring the deepening strategic partnership between China and Central Asian nations.

"President Xi's speech offers a clear and forward-looking road map for deepening global cooperation under the BRI," he said, adding that the center is committed to expanding partnerships with Chinese companies and institutions in various areas.

Xi announced at the summit that China will provide a grant of 1.5 billion yuan ($209 million) to Central Asian countries this year to help finance livelihood and development projects high on their agenda, adding that China will also provide 3,000 training opportunities to Central Asian countries over the next two years.

During the summit, the leaders of China and Central Asian countries witnessed the launch of three cooperation centers on poverty reduction, education exchange and desertification control, as well as a cooperation platform on smooth trade under the China-Central Asia cooperation framework.

Such moves represent China's practical commitment to regional development that would help in addressing key challenges in Central Asia, Akram said.

Salman Bashir, Pakistan's former foreign secretary, said: "President Xi's initiative of the China-Central Asia Spirit is wise and far-reaching. It is premised on the phenomenon that the rise of China should benefit its neighbors, a policy that China has pursued consistently."

Christopher Campbell-Holt, registrar and chief executive of the Astana International Financial Centre Court and International Arbitration Centre in Kazakhstan, said the cooperation initiative announced by Xi at the summit is a welcome development for Central Asia.

Deepened cooperation helps to better inform and build trust with Chinese investors and facilitate significant investment by China in the Kazakh economy, he added.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com