Spokesperson: China, Central Asia to draw new blueprint for future cooperation

Leaders from China and Central Asian countries will jointly draw a new blueprint for future cooperation, open up new space for Belt and Road cooperation and build an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future at the upcoming second China-Central Asia Summit, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Guo Jiakun made the remarks in response to a media inquiry about the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Central Asian countries during a regular press conference on Monday.

Central Asia is not only where the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was first proposed, but also a frontrunner in high-quality BRI cooperation, Guo noted, adding that all five Central Asian countries have signed BRI cooperation agreements with China.

China and Central Asian countries have implemented a series of signature projects designed to boost development and improve people's lives, he said.

Guo said that trade between China and Central Asian countries hit a record high of 674.15 billion yuan (about $94 billion) in 2024, up by 116 percent compared with that of 2013.

Taking the China-Kazakhstan Crude Oil Pipeline project and the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline project as examples, Guo said China and Central Asian countries have found a new model of mutually beneficial cooperation.

Additionally, he noted that the China-Tajikistan highway, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway have taken regional connectivity to new levels.

High-quality Belt and Road cooperation is increasingly becoming a key focus of China-Central Asia cooperation, said Guo, adding that practical cooperation has expanded to digital economy and green transition.

Guo also highlighted China's mutual visa exemption agreements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and noted that the Luban Workshops project is gaining momentum.

People-to-people and cultural exchanges have moved onto the fast lane and brought our peoples closer, Guo said.