Editor's note: The 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand, Uzbekistan is one of the most important gatherings this year. It is Chinese President Xi Jinping's first overseas trip since the COVID-19 outbreak, attracting worldwide attention. Sheradil Baktygulov, director of the Institute for World Politics Study, shared his insights about this trip with CGTN. The video reflects the expert's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

CGTN: What is the significance of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and the whole central Asia for that matter?

Sheradil Baktygulov: President Xi Jinping's visit to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is most significant since China is (one of) the most powerful actors in the world nowadays. Probably only China can act on an equal footing with the United States. This is very important because the modern system of international cooperation based on principles and norms is beginning to fail significantly. One of the main reasons for this is a deep crisis of confidence at the global level, which in turn provokes geopolitical confrontation. And there is a Cold War thinking in these times. Nowadays, China is promoting mutually beneficial projects in all aspects of human cooperation without borders and lines. In other words, it means the stability and development of central Asia.

CGTN: How can central Asian countries better work with the Belt and Road Initiative for recovery and growth, amid a world economic downturn?

Baktygulov: We think that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) introduces a goodwill approach to human values, solid international legal base, good relations among countries, good relations involving peoples, and represents some examples of goodwill approaches. Before, we didn't meet such kind of approaches, especially when nowadays we are experiencing a hard time of previous unipolar world order. The BRI is providing new opportunities to all interested countries with mutually beneficial economic growth. China has demonstrated impressive economic and social progress, markedly increasing their sharing differences in global system. These are remarkable achievements China has reached because of its opening-up policy. It is quite important to know that Chinese tremendous results originated from all national approaches, not recommendations dictated by Western countries. The Western recommendations do not work outside the Western world due to a wide range of global diversity in governance, economic models, public affairs and so on. In these relations, we could note that the BRI is an invitation for equal and mutually beneficial cooperation. This is really a new approach of our world global order.

CGTN: How can the SCO, as a Eurasian security organization, help resolve the current Russian-Ukrainian conflict?

Baktygulov: As we know, international cooperation is based on multilateral institutions. In this regard, we have to note that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is the model of successful regional cooperation. The SCO managed to unite countries with different cultural and civilizational backgrounds, with their own foreign policy guidelines and models of national development. In a very short historical period, the SCO has come a long way, becoming an integral element of the modern global political and economic world order. Today, the SCO family is the world's largest regional organization, which has united a vast geographical area and about half of the population of our planet. And the concept of the success of the SCO is the promotion of multifaceted cooperation through ensuring regional cooperation and regional security. We are full of optimism and are convinced that the decisions at the summit of the SCO will make a physical contribution to the strengthening of dialogue, mutual understanding and cooperation at the regional level and globally, especially in the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.

Interviewer: Yang Chuchu

Managing editor: Yang Chuchu

Video editor: Feng Ran

Producers: Bi Jianlu, Wang Xinyan, Zhang Peijin

Supervisor: Ma Jing

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