BEIJING: The Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said on Tuesday that the upcoming China-Central Asia Summit, which will be held in Xian, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, will strengthen China and Central Asian countries’ consensus on the high-quality joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
During his regular press conference, he discussed the details of the joint BRI construction between China and Central Asian countries, as well as the significance of the summit for both sides. He said that since China proposed the joint construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt in 2013, Central Asia has become the first place to jointly build the BRI and a benchmark for connectivity.
The spokesperson said that leaders from both sides have maintained close exchanges over the last ten years. He said both sides gained a major consensus on promoting BRI connectivity and the development strategies of the five Central Asian countries, with China playing a strategic leading role in the joint BRI building with Central Asian countries.
The spokesperson mentioned a number of major projects undertaken jointly by both parties that benefited the people of all countries in the region. The completion of the China-Kazakhstan Horgos International Border Cooperation Centre and China-Kazakhstan international logistics base in Lianyungang has given Central Asian countries access to the Pacific Ocean.
China-Central Asia Summit
The number of China-Europe freight trains passing through Central Asian countries accounts for roughly 80% of all China-Europe freight trains. Another project, the Angren-Pap railway tunnel, which is the longest tunnel in Central Asia, has been done. The entire trade volume between China and the five Central Asian countries exceeded $70 billion last year, setting a new high.
According to Wang Wenbin, a series of substantial cooperation outcomes have built a firm foundation for China and Central Asian countries to adhere to mutual respect, friendship, solidarity, mutual benefit, and win-win results. He said that with the China-Central Asia Summit, he expects that both sides would make bigger new contributions to building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.
