Among the main objectives of the China-Central Asian summit, held two days ago in the Chinese city of Xi'an, is to boost trade and promote the "Belt and Road" initiative, with the leaders of the participating countries planning to adhere to a "political document" that lays the foundation for decades to come of cooperation, according to a report published by the Russian newspaper Izvestia.
While the West interpreted the event as reflecting China's desire to outdo Russia's ally in Central Asia, experts interviewed by Izvestia said Moscow and Beijing were working in the region side by side in cooperation, not competition for influence.
The summit of leaders of China and the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) is the first major diplomatic event hosted by China this year, and the first face-to-face meeting of the heads of state in 31 years since Beijing established diplomatic relations with them, the report said.
Symbolism of the place
The summit took place in the Chinese city of Xi'an, the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, which included a network of Eurasian trade routes dating back to the second century BC. Ten years ago, China launched the "Belt and Road" initiative, which includes the five Central Asian republics.
Over the past decade, the countries of the region have been able to implement many projects such as the China-Central Asia gas pipeline (which passes through the territory of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan), the China-Kazakhstan oil pipeline, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway, the China-Tajikistan highway, and the most prominent achievement being the China-Europe high-speed train passing through Central Asia.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the volume of trade between China and Central Asian countries in 2022 reached a record level of 70.2 billion dollars, and the total Chinese investment projects completed in the five Central Asian countries reached 63.9 billion dollars.
But China did not stop there, with President Xi Jinping announcing in January that he plans to increase investment in the region.
The West is watching
The report noted that the West will closely monitor efforts to intensify cooperation between Beijing and Central Asian countries. One narrative is that China's expansion in Central Asia rivals Russian influence in the region.
Zhao Long, deputy director of the Institute for Global Governance Studies at the Shanghai Institute of International Studies, was quoted as saying that Western media are not only trying to demonize China's cooperation with Central Asian countries, but also claim that China is seeking to gain influence in this region at Russia's expense, which could lead to a rift in Sino-Russian relations.
Zhao Long stressed that these two countries have long played complementary roles in Central Asia — as a security provider and driving force for economic development — and this logic has not changed.
Dina Malysheva, a senior scientific researcher at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said talk of China's attempt to remove Russia from Central Asia has been going on since Beijing began presenting itself as an active player in global politics and economy, but this vulgar propaganda has nothing to do with reality.
According to Malysheva, the countries of the region adhere to a policy in which they cooperate with powerful international centers, especially in the economic field, and are interested in not allowing any center to control their policies and economy.