Oriented on making people closer

Recently, the first China-Central Asia summit was successfully held in Xi'an, the eastern starting point of the Great Silk Road. Zhang Qian more than 2,100 years ago, as an envoy of the Han dynasty, went from here to the Western Region, laying the foundation for friendly contacts between China and Central Asia. This Summit is the first large-scale event organized by the Chinese side this year, as well as the first Summit in the last 3 years since the establishment of the China-Central Asia mechanism, which has a historical and monumental character in the history of relations between China and Central Asia.

Keyword 1: Community of the Common Destiny of China and Central Asia

The creation of a closer community of a single China-Central Asia destiny is the most important political result of the summit, which showed the international community the unifying, creative force and joint determination in promoting the sustainable development of relations between China and the Central Asian countries. During the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping noted that in order to form a community of a common destiny of China and Central Asia, it is necessary to adhere to the following 4 directions - providing mutual assistance and support to each other, promoting joint development, ensuring universal security and strengthening centuries-old friendship.

Following the summit, the Xi'an Declaration was published, which confirmed the desire to jointly create a closer community of the common destiny of China and Central Asia. The concept of a community of one destiny has been implemented for the first time at the bilateral and multilateral levels in the Central Asian region, which provides strategic guidance for improving Sino-Central Asian relations and accelerating cooperation between China and Central Asia. It also indicates the intention and readiness of the six countries to cooperate at a higher level, standard and quality.

Keyword 2: Mutual support

Global changes are gaining momentum before our eyes. The world, epoch and historical conditions are undergoing unprecedented changes. Central Asia, located in the very center of the Eurasian continent, connects its north and south, east and west. President Xi Jinping stressed that our world needs a stable, prosperous, harmonious and interconnected Central Asia. He clearly noted that the sovereignty, security, independence and territorial integrity of the Central Asian countries should be ensured, the development paths independently chosen by their peoples should be respected, their efforts for peace, good-neighborliness and tranquility should be supported.

President Xi's words once again demonstrated that China is a true friend that the Central Asian countries can trust, and a good partner on whom they can rely. The sides confirmed their firm support for each other on sovereignty, independence, security, territorial integrity and other fundamental issues related to key interests.

The parties respect the development paths chosen in accordance with their realities and categorically oppose attempts to discredit the legitimate state power and provoke “color revolutions”, as well as interference in the internal affairs of other countries in any form and under any pretext. As representatives of the forces of peace and justice, China and the Central Asian countries, understanding each other and moving forward hand in hand, will undoubtedly bring more positive energy and stability to a complex and chaotic world.

Keyword 3: Mechanism of meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia and China

The parties stated that within the framework of the summit, a mechanism for meetings of the heads of state of Central Asia and China is officially being created - the highest platform for cooperation between China and Central Asia. The summit will be held every two years. The sides expressed their readiness to fully implement the strategic leadership role of the diplomacy of the leaders of the states, to strengthen comprehensive planning at the highest level for the development of relations between the Central Asian states and China.

The China-Central Asia mechanism is the result of the movement of China and the Central Asian countries towards each other, based on changes in the regional situation and trends in the development of time, which has strong internal dynamics and broad development prospects. This summit put a good start to this mechanism and pressed the "first button".

Being at a new historical starting point, continuing the traditions of the past and opening up the future, we will turn the agreements reached by the heads of state into practical actions, as well as turn the jointly developed grandiose plan into a road map and a realistic map in order to constantly expand and strengthen the China-CA mechanism.

Qian Naicheng, Chinese Ambassador to Turkmenistan

Photo: Xinhua