Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday spoke highly of the joints efforts by China and Central Asia to build the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the 10th China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum, which opened on Saturday in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province.

Since its inception, the China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum has grown in both size and influence, he said.

Through the forum, China and the five Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – have sought cooperation and shared common development, Xi noted.

That has helped boost mutual understanding and traditional friendship and written a new chapter of good-neighborliness and joint progress between the countries, he added.

Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI, the Chinese president said China and the Central Asian countries have been leading the world in the joint building of the BRI.

The first China-Central Asia Summit was held in the northwestern Chinese city of Xi'an in May, ushering in a new era of relations between the countries.

Noting this new development, Xi said cooperation between China and Central Asia enjoys great potential and will achieve great results.

He expressed hope that different sides will take the forum as an opportunity to learn from each other, deepen BRI cooperation, and benefit more from the development of relations between China and Central Asia.

The 10th China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum is held under the theme "Advancing Friendly Relationship and Deepening Mutually Beneficial Cooperation."

The first edition of the forum was held in Tongxiang City, east China's Zhejiang Province, in May 2012. It has since become an important platform for jointly building the BRI, consolidating political mutual trust, and deepening people-to-people exchanges between China and the Central Asian countries.

(Cover: Attendees pose for a photo at the 10th China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, September 9, 2023. /CFP)