Ashgabat, January 21 | ORIENT. The speech by Sun Weidong, Secretary-General of the China-Central Asia format, at the SPECA Week in Ashgabat was received with deep attention: when global supply chains are in turmoil, Beijing's voice sounds like a tuning fork for the entire regional economy.

From the podium of the SPECA Economic Forum, Sun Weidong spoke of fundamental issues. He emphasized that the current architecture of international relations is undergoing "profound changes," and in this turmoil, Turkmenistan, with its policy of permanent neutrality, remains a rare island of stability and trust.

The diplomat particularly emphasized Ashgabat's role in strengthening regional consensus, noting that under Turkmenistan's chairmanship, the SPECA program had been filled with the very "concrete content" that investors had been waiting for—from digital transformation to tangible logistics corridors.

Later, on the sidelines of the forum, the conversation turned to the real meaning behind these diplomatic formulations. Here, in a personal conversation, Sun Weidong developed his idea even further. He explained that for landlocked countries in our region, connectivity is not a luxury, but a matter of survival and international competitiveness.

"You know," the diplomat reasoned, "we often look at a map and see a 'geographical node.' But our task is to transform it into a 'development node.'" It was here that he applied the definition of the "iron triangle." Sun Weidong detailed its components:

Energy - is the "heart" that feeds the region;

Transportation - is the "arteries" that reduce costs;

Digitalization - is the "nervous system" that makes trade transparent and sustainable.

In the behind-the-scenes discussion, it became clear: The China-Central Asia format is not simply observing the successes of SPECA but is ready to become the main driver of this integration.

Concluding his thought, the guest emphasized that the "spirit of our format" is, above all, mutual trust. And considering how actively Ashgabat moderates these complex processes, Sun Weidong expressed confidence: an open and sustainable regional architecture is no longer a dream, but a near future being built here and now.