KABUL: Kazakh media have reported that trade between China and five Central Asian countries has grown by 35% over the past two years, coinciding with the second summit of China-Central Asian leaders.
According to Astana Times on Wednesday, trade volume among China, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan has reached a historic high of $100 billion since the first China-Central Asia summit in 2023.
Chinese President Xi Jinping stated at the summit that a framework for cooperation among the six countries has now been established under the China-Central Asia initiative.
He announced a $208 million grant from China to support projects aimed at achieving development goals and public welfare in the five Central Asian countries.
Xi emphasized China’s support for Central Asia’s increasing role in international affairs and its readiness to collaborate in strengthening global fairness, combating unilateralism, and resisting power politics.
Based on reports in the past two years, the number of joint projects involving companies from the six countries has surpassed 10,000, representing a “deeper economic connection in the region.”
The second summit of China-Central Asian leaders concluded with the signing of the “Treaty of Friendship, Neighborhood, Goodwill, and Eternal Cooperation” in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.