China is hosting the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in a summit in the northern Chinese city of Xi’an. Beijing has described the gathering as “milestone”-worthy. China has made significant inroads into the Central Asia region during the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Russia has awarded the Chinese with many opportunities in efforts to strengthen bilateral relations within the context of pushing forward multipolar solidarity. China has been concentrating on the economic aspect of cooperation with Central Asia for decades, but in recent years, particularly since the previous year, the emphasis has noticeably risen on C5 nations. Beijing’s interests now extend to the realm of politics, and the summit in Xi’an formally marks the beginning of a new phase of bilateral cooperation.

China-Central Asia Summit has stirred up global ripples as the international participants are fully aware of how “gathering” can have snowball effects on rapidly shifting geopolitical, geo-economic, and geostrategic landscapes. The geopolitical environment benefits China in the long run. Given that it is likely that Russia will continue its war in Ukraine for the foreseeable future, Beijing will have a growing opportunity to influence politics and the economy throughout central Eurasia. This is particularly true given that other players in the region lack China’s geographic reach and economic potential to compete with it.

China-Central Asia Summit has stirred up global ripples as the international participants are fully aware of how “gathering” can have snowball effects on rapidly shifting geopolitical, geo-economic, and geostrategic landscapes.

The significance of China’s proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its benefits to Central Asian republics have drawn attention from around the world to the event. The BRI celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. In the past ten years, Central Asia has developed into a showcase of how the BRI was negotiated and put into practice in the region. This has resulted in a wide range of win-win outcomes, including a long list of infrastructure connectivity projects that have helped the landlocked region improve its connections with the outside world.

China-Central Asia Summit is a meeting between China and five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The summit is part of China’s broader aim to strengthen economic and political partnerships with like-minded countries and counter what it sees as a US-dominated world order that is trying to contain and suppress China. Chinese President Xi Jinping called on China and Central Asia to “fully unleash” their potential in trade, economic, and infrastructure cooperation. The summit has been described as a milestone in Chinese diplomacy and a “new model” in international relations. In an address to the leaders of the strategically significant region, Xi Jinping urged China and Central Asia to “fully unleash” their potential for traditional trade cooperation on the economic front, infrastructure cooperation, industrial capacity, energy, and transport. It also stressed the need to develop “new growth drivers such as finance, agriculture, poverty reduction, low carbon, health, and digital innovation. China is hosting the leaders of Central Asian states in a summit in the northern Chinese city of Xi’an. Beijing has described the gathering as “milestone”-worthy.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called on China and Central Asia to “fully unleash” their potential in trade, economic, and infrastructure cooperation. The summit has been described as a milestone in Chinese diplomacy and a “new model” in international relations.

Beijing claims that commerce with Central Asia increased by 22% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2023, reaching $70 billion. The Belt and Road Initiative, a trillion-dollar Chinese global infrastructure initiative, likewise heavily relies on this region. Beijing is eager to resume collaboration and fill the void left in former Soviet states by Russia’s war in Ukraine, making the program a defining geopolitical endeavor for Xi. China supports Central Asian nations’ engagement in specific Belt and Road Initiative cooperative plans, which cover technologies for sustainable development, entrepreneurship and innovation, and spatial information technology. the need to increase security cooperation against the separatism, terrorism, and extremism that Beijing referred to as the “three evils” in the area. The six nations must adamantly reject attempts to foment “color revolutions,” which refers to turmoil in former Soviet states that Moscow and others claim is sponsored by the West. The six nations should also reject any external meddling in regional nations’ internal affairs.

The summit sends a message to forces opposed to globalization that protectionism and decoupling are not the way of the future. Instead, the development of a shared future is essential for the world. The summit reveals the areas of cooperation that are still untapped and undiscovered for cultivating joint ventures on an inclusive economy through the Chinese prism, given the unfavorable businesses amidst external shocks, impacts of climate change, record high inflation, unilateralism, and challenges in the post-covid era. China’s economic and trade cooperation with the five Central Asian countries (C5) has produced noticeable results since the establishment of diplomatic ties for 30 years. Green financing, green energy, and the green economy need urgent attention, even though China and the C5 are cooperating cooperatively in these sectors. The region of Central Asia is already quite susceptible to natural disasters as a result of climate change and carbon-based energy sources.

The summits reveal the areas of cooperation that are still untapped and undiscovered for cultivating joint ventures on an inclusive economy through the Chinese prism. China’s economic and trade cooperation with the five Central Asian countries (C5) has produced noticeable results since the establishment of diplomatic ties for 30 years.

The creation of a program called “Green Silk Road” that uses green development technology, creative solutions, and cutting-edge technologies to achieve environmental sustainability and efficiency will therefore be one of the key facets of the collaboration, turning the area into a highland of global low-carbon growth. Additionally, Central Asia lacks a high-tech economic structure to compete globally. According to the Asian Development Bank, by 2030, $33 billion will need to be invested year to address Central Asia’s infrastructure deficit. The conference marks the beginning of a new era of macro and micro project launches that would enhance connectivity between China and Europe via the Central Asian area. Central Asia has become a “strategic pivot” from an economic, political, social, cultural, and security standpoint due to its geographic location. The summit is anticipated to give the supercontinent of “Eurasia” as well as the countries of Central Asia a fresh drive for growth.

Therefore, Beijing’s ability to properly manage its involvement in the region will be put to the test in order to avoid upsetting the five Central Asian governments and causing them to look for alternatives by forging deeper connections with Russia, the EU, and others.

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