Xi Jinping calls for upholding the China-Central Asia Spirit

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for advancing high-quality cooperation between China and Central Asian countries as he addressed the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

He urged the six nations to uphold the China-Central Asia Spirit and accelerate the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

The Chinese president highlighted the tangible progress made since the first summit in Xi'an in 2023. "The six pomegranate trees we planted together in Xi'an are now in full bloom," Xi said, using the image as a metaphor for the blossoming partnership among the six countries.

According to Xi, over the past two years, trade between China and Central Asia has increased by 35 percent, with major advancements in sectors including green mining, technology and infrastructure. Flagship projects like the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and expanded freight links, including upgrades to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, underscore growing connectivity.

China's exports of new energy vehicles and photovoltaic products are reaching Central Asian markets, while Central Asian agricultural goods are enriching Chinese households, Xi added.

President Xi emphasized the importance of enhancing mutual understanding, pointing to the success of cultural exchanges such as Chinese TV dramas and art festivals in Central Asia. Mutual visa-free arrangements facilitated over 1.2 million visits between China and Kazakhstan in 2024 alone, he added.

The number of sister-city partnerships reached a milestone of 100 pairs, and ministerial cooperation platforms under the China-Central Asia mechanism increased to 13, Xi noted.

"I am pleased to see that our consensus at the first summit has been implemented across the board – from the millennium-old Xi'an to Astana, 'the pearl of the steppe,' from the coast of the Yellow Sea to the shores of the Caspian Sea, from the Tianshan Mountain Range to the Pamir Plateau. The path of our cooperation is steadily widening, and our friendship is blooming ever more brightly," said Xi.

China and the five Central Asian countries have jointly formed the China-Central Asia Spirit, which features mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, mutual assistance and the pursuit of common modernization through high-quality development, Xi pointed out.

Xi described the spirit as the "essential guideline" for advancing mutual understanding, shared development and enduring friendship among the six countries. He outlined four key dimensions that define this collective ethos.

"We practice mutual respect and treat each other as equals," Xi said, emphasizing that all countries, big or small, are equal partners. "We handle issues through consultation and make decisions by consensus," he added.

Xi stressed the importance of mutual trust and solidarity, stating that China and Central Asian nations "firmly support each other in safeguarding independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity," and refrain from any action that harms one another's core interests.

Highlighting a commitment to win-win outcomes, Xi noted that both sides view each other as priority partners and work together to share development opportunities. "We accommodate each other's interests and strive to build a symbiotic and mutually beneficial relationship," he said.

President Xi also underscored the value of standing together in the face of challenges. "We help each other in time of need and support each other in choosing development paths suited to our national conditions," he said. "We work together to address risks and uphold regional peace and stability."

Calling the China-Central Asia Spirit an important guideline for carrying forward friendship and cooperation from generation to generation, Xi urged efforts to "uphold it and let it shine forever."

Xi told the summit that there are no winners in tariff and trade wars, and that unilateralism and protectionism harm everyone.

"Humanity must not regress to the law of the jungle. Instead, we should build a community with a shared future for mankind," said Xi.

In this context, the Chinese president put forward a five-point proposal to deepen relations between China and the five Central Asian countries, calling for closer cooperation across political, economic, security and people-to-people fields, as well as in international governance.

Xi called for staying committed to the fundamental goal of unity, and always trusting and supporting each other. He reaffirmed China's consistent commitment to treating Central Asia as a diplomatic priority and pursuing good-neighborly relations under the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness.

He announced that China and the Central Asian countries on Tuesday jointly signed a treaty on eternal good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation to enshrine the principle of everlasting friendship in the form of law. Xi described it as "a milestone for today and a foundation for tomorrow."

Xi stressed the need to optimize the cooperation framework to make it more results-oriented, efficient and deeply integrated. He announced the designation of 2025 and 2026 as the Years of High-Quality Development of China-Central Asia Cooperation, and called for joint efforts in smooth trade, industrial investment, connectivity, green mining, agricultural modernization and people-to-people exchanges.

To support these goals, Xi said China has decided to establish three cooperation centers – on poverty reduction, education exchange, and desertification prevention and control – as well as a cooperation platform on smooth trade under the China-Central Asia cooperation framework. China will provide a grant of 1.5 billion yuan ($208 million) to Central Asian countries this year to be used for livelihood and development projects high on their agenda. China will also offer 3,000 training opportunities to Central Asian countries over the next two years.

Xi also called for developing a security framework for peace, tranquility and solidarity. "We should step up regional security governance," he said, urging joint efforts to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism.

Xi said China will support Central Asian countries in modernizing their defense and law enforcement capacities and will launch more Safe City projects, joint exercises and training programs.

He also emphasized the importance of coordinated assistance to Afghanistan, a close neighbor, to help it achieve peace and development at an early date.

Xi underlined the importance of closer people-to-people ties and cultural exchanges. "We should cement the bonds of shared vision, mutual understanding and mutual affection between our peoples," he said.

China will expand exchanges between legislatures, political parties, media, women, youth and think tanks, and will set up more cultural centers, university branches and Luban Workshops in Central Asia. Xi also announced efforts to promote language studies and technical training, deepen subnational cooperation and enhance travel facilitation.

Xi called for upholding a fair international order and promoting a more equal and orderly global structure.

He voiced China's support for Central Asian countries to play a greater role in international affairs, and expressed opposition to hegemonism and power politics.

"We should promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization," Xi said.

Recalling this year's 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, Xi emphasized the need to defend historical truth and the post-war international order.

"We should provide more stability and certainty for world peace and development," he added.

Noting that China is building a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization, Xi said that no matter how the international situation changes, China will remain unwavering in opening up to the outside world and embrace higher-quality cooperation with Central Asian countries to deepen the integration of interests and achieve common development.