The second China-Central Asia Summit concluded on Tuesday in Astana, Kazakhstan, producing a broad consensus on cooperation across a range of areas – including security, trade, science and technology, cultural exchanges, and regional development.Among the 110 listed outcomes were landmark agreements such as the Treaty of Permanent Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, the Astana Declaration, and several practical cooperation projects.
These include the establishment of the China-Central Asia poverty reduction cooperation center, the China-Central Asia education exchange cooperation center, the China-Central Asia desertification control cooperation center, as well as the China-Central Asia smooth trade cooperation platform.To gain deeper insight into how these outcomes will further advance China-Central Asia cooperation, CGTN spoke with Cui Zheng, director of the Research Center for Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asian Countries at Liaoning University.Below is the first part of CGTN's two-part interview with the expert.
The conversations have been lightly edited for clarity and conciseness.CGTN: What are the key highlights in the outcomes document of this summit?Cui Zheng: The outcomes document showed China-Central Asia political mutual trust reaching new heights.
Astana Declaration, one of the outcomes, has the concept of the China-Central Asia Spirit, which Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed for the first time.
The spirit, formed on the basis of a comprehensive summary of the successful experiences of China-Central Asia cooperation, embodies mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit and mutual assistance for the joint pursuit of modernization through high-quality development.The outcomes document also highlighted that China continues to deepen economic and trade cooperation with Central Asia.
With trade facilitation and industrial investment identified as two of the six priority areas, all six countries expressed their willingness to promote the diversification of trade structures, streamline trade procedures, and upgrade investment agreements among them.Additionally, green minerals and artificial intelligence were highlighted in the document as key areas of focus.
In terms of green minerals, China and Central Asian countries agreed on the need to further strengthen cooperation across the entire industrial chain of mineral resource development and utilization.
Within the framework of the existing laws of each country, they will jointly explore the feasibility of conducting geological surveys, mineral resource exploration, and the development of green mining.In the area of artificial intelligence, China welcomes Central Asian countries to join the Group of Friends on International Cooperation on AI Capacity Building.
All parties expressed their willingness to jointly implement the United Nations General Assembly resolution on strengthening international cooperation in AI capacity building.The document also underscored the shared commitment of China and the Central Asian countries to upholding multilateralism on the international stage.CGTN: The outcomes document of the summit includes the establishment of three centers and one platform between China and the five Central Asian countries: the China-Central Asia poverty reduction cooperation center, the China-Central Asia education exchange cooperation center, the China-Central Asia desertification control cooperation center, as well as the China-Central Asia smooth trade cooperation platform.
What are your thoughts on these institutions? Do they align with the China-Central Asia spirit emphasized by Xi Jinping?Cui Zheng: These new institutions – namely, the China-Central Asia poverty reduction cooperation center, the China-Central Asia education exchange cooperation center, the China-Central Asia desertification control cooperation center, as well as the China-Central Asia trade facilitation cooperation platform – represent tangible progress in implementing the China-Central Asia Spirit.The China-Central Asia trade facilitation cooperation platform will enhance the scope and quality of free trade between China and Central Asian countries.
Bilateral trade between China and the five Central Asian nations has more than doubled from 312.04 billion yuan ($43.4 billion) in 2013 to 674.15 billion yuan in 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 7.3 percent, surpassing China's overall trade growth rate during the same period.
Cooperation in agriculture is gaining momentum, with more high-quality green products from Central Asia entering the Chinese market.
The new platform is expected to further facilitate the import of premium mineral resources from the region, expanding trade volume and mutual benefit.The China-Central Asia poverty reduction cooperation center will institutionalize China-Uzbekistan cooperation in poverty alleviation and generate positive spillover effects for other Central Asian countries.
As early as January 2024, during his meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President Xi emphasized deepening cooperation in poverty alleviation and promoting people-oriented development.
President Mirziyoyev also wrote a foreword for the Uzbek edition of Chinese President Xi Jinping's book on poverty alleviation "Up and Out of Poverty," symbolizing the deepening exchange of governance experience.
Notably, Uzbekistan's poverty rate declined from 11 percent to 8.9 percent between 2023 and 2024 – with over 719,000 people lifted out of poverty – showcasing the tangible results of cooperation.The China-Central Asia desertification control cooperation center carries strategic significance for ecological sustainability, regional stability, and food security.
As one of the world's most water-scarce regions, Central Asia faces both environmental and political challenges related to water resource allocation.
China has actively promoted cooperation in water management, irrigation, agricultural modernization, and technological innovation under the Belt and Road framework.
This new center will serve as a crucial foundation for addressing desertification, optimizing water usage, and protecting the regional environment.The China-Central Asia education exchange cooperation center marks a new stage in institutionalized educational partnership.
Following mutual visa exemptions, cultural center establishments, and the launch of Chinese university campuses and Luban Workshops in Central Asia, people-to-people exchanges have surged – more than 1.2 million cross-border visits between China and Kazakhstan occurred last year alone.
Initiatives such as the China-Central Asia Talent Development Scholarship, China Central Asia University Alliance, and the China-Central Asia Education Ministers' Meeting are building a community of shared educational futures – one rooted in mutual learning, lasting friendship, and shared prosperity.