In June, pomegranate flowers bloom, the Ishim River meanders, and Kazakhstan, the "country of grasslands", is full of vitality everywhere.

At the invitation of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Tokayev, President Xi Jinping will go to Astana, Kazakhstan to attend the second China-Central Asia Summit from June 16 to 18.

For thousands of years, China and the people of Central Asia have exchanged their own interests and learned from each other, creating the glory of the ancient Silk Road and writing a brilliant chapter in the history of human civilization exchange. The deep historical origins, solid public opinion foundation and broad practical needs have made China's relations with Central Asian countries shine with vitality and vitality in the new era.

Two years ago, the first China-Central Asia Summit was successfully held in Xi'an, China, opening a new era of China's relations with Central Asia. Over the past two years, China's cooperation with Central Asian countries has achieved solid and heavy results. Now, the second China-Central Asia Summit has arrived as scheduled, pushing the six countries toward a new journey of building a community with a shared future for China-Central Asia.

From Xi'an to Astana, the picture of cooperation is more refined, the signposts of action are clearer, and the steps forward are more powerful. President Xi Jinping will work with the five heads of state in Central Asia to draw up a new blueprint for China-Central Asia cooperation, open up new opportunities for regional peace and development, inject valuable certainty into the turbulent and changing world, and draw a brighter prospect for the development and progress of human civilization.

Like-minded and inherit a thousand-year friendship

The lonely smoke in the desert, the sound of camel bells. Looking back to the depths of history, more than 2,100 years ago, the journey of the Han Dynasty envoy Zhang Qian on the Western Regions opened the door to friendly exchanges between China and Central Asia.

From history to the future, in the fall of 2013, President Xi Jinping visited the four Central Asian countries and proposed the initiative of jointly building the "Silk Road Economic Belt" for the first time in Kazakhstan, awakening ancient memories and drawing a blueprint for dreams.

Over the past 10 years, President Xi Jinping has set foot on the land of Central Asia again and again, maintaining close communication with leaders of Central Asian countries and strengthening bilateral and multilateral interactions. China and Central Asian countries work together to promote the comprehensive rejuvenation of the Silk Road, strive to create in-depth cooperation for the future, and bring bilateral relations into a new era.

Today, China and the five Central Asian countries have achieved full coverage of comprehensive strategic partnerships, signed cooperation documents on jointly building the "Belt and Road" and implemented the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind at the bilateral level. The three "full coverage" demonstrate the height of political mutual trust between China and Central Asian countries, the depth of good-neighborly friendship, and the breadth of pragmatic cooperation.

Friendship is not an accidental choice, but a result of like-mindedness. As President Xi Jinping said: "Deepening China-Central Asia cooperation is a strategic choice made by our generation of leaders with a view to the future, adapting to the general trend of the world and in line with the expectations of the people."

In 2020, China advocated the establishment of the China-Central Asia mechanism, and held its first meeting of the China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers by video in July, announcing the establishment of a regular meeting mechanism.

In January 2022, President Xi Jinping and the five Central Asian heads of state held a video summit for the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five Central Asian countries, and all parties proposed to upgrade the China-Central Asia mechanism to the head of state. "Always respect each other, be friendly with neighbors, work together, and win-win results" - President Xi Jinping summarized the successful password of China's cooperation with the five Central Asian countries in this way.

In May 2023, the first China-Central Asia Summit was held in the ancient capital Xi'an. President Xi Jinping comprehensively elaborated on China's foreign policy towards Central Asia, and jointly decided with the five heads of state to build a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future, formally established the China-Central Asia Heads of State meeting mechanism, and established the China-Central Asia Mechanism Secretariat. President Xi Jinping put forward the "four propositions" on what kind of Central Asia to build and the "four persistences" on how to build a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, which was highly agreed and warmly responded by the heads of state of Central Asia.

This is the outdoor scene of the first China-Central Asia Summit News Center filmed in Xi'an, Shaanxi on May 16, 2023. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Bowen

From the release of the Xi'an Declaration, to the signing of a series of multilateral and bilateral documents, to the conclusion of major cooperation consensus, this historic summit has written a brilliant chapter in the history of friendly exchanges between China and Central Asian countries for thousands of years, injecting strong positive energy into regional and even world peace and stability.

Adhering to the principle of consultation, joint construction and sharing, China-Central Asia cooperation is becoming increasingly rich, and the all-round and multi-dimensional three-dimensional cooperation pattern is becoming increasingly perfect. The ministerial cooperation mechanisms established within the framework of the mechanism are efficiently operated. Not long ago, the sixth meeting of China-Central Asian Foreign Ministers was held in Almaty. The foreign ministers of Central Asian countries attended the meeting highly praised the high-level unity and mutual trust with China and the important role of the China-Central Asian mechanism, and expressed that they would deeply tap the potential of cooperation between the two sides and create a new milestone in the construction of a China-Central Asian community with a shared future.

Shiraldir Baktgulov, director of the Kyrgyz Institute of World Politics, believes that the China-Central Asia mechanism is "young and promising" and is fruitful, creating a new model of multilateral cooperation in Asia and Europe, which will help all parties coordinate their positions on major international issues, enhance mutual trust, and reach consensus on regional security and development issues. "I believe that the upcoming Astana Summit will inject new impetus into expanding the horizons of cooperation and achieving more practical results that benefit the people of the region."

Work together to modernize

On April 29, the roar of machines broke the silence of the valley in the Jalalabad region of Kyrgyzstan. The construction of three tunnels in the China-Jiji-Ukraine Railway is underway in the Jilin-district, marking the entry of the main line project of the China-Jiji-Ukraine Railway Project into the substantive construction stage.

As a landmark project for the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" cooperation personally promoted by the heads of state of China, Jilin and Ukraine, this "steel wire road" carries the beautiful wish of the people of the three countries to connect and prosper together. Tariyel Kerdibekov, an official of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Kyrgyzstan, believes that the China-Kyrgyz-Ukraine Railway will reconstruct the logistics network in Central Asia. In the view of Uzbekistan entrepreneurs and industry professionals vice chairman Meliboyev, the China-Kyrgyz-Ukraine Railway is a powerful proof of deepening mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation between China and Central Asian countries.

On April 29, 2025, staff were busy at the start of the key control project of the China-Jilan-Ukraine Railway in the Jalalabad region of Kyrgyzstan. Posted by Xinhua News Agency (photo by Roman)

"The world needs a connected Central Asia." In May 2023, President Xi Jinping said in his keynote speech at the first China-Central Asia Summit. Over the past two years, with the continuous improvement of China-Central Asia mechanism cooperation level, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Ukraine Railway has started construction, the China-Kyrgyzstan-based Central Asia trains have been launched, the Xi'an terminal in Kazakhstan has been put into operation and achieved high-quality development, and the construction of the trans-Caspian international transportation corridor has been continuously promoted... China and Central Asian countries have been continuously deepening interconnection, and the construction of the China-Central Asia Transportation Corridor has opened a new chapter.

Taking the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" as a new starting point, China and Central Asian countries have strengthened cooperation at an unprecedented speed and strength, sought development together, and worked together to modernize.

The denser channel network is building a "direct bridge" for economic and trade exchanges, helping China and Central Asian countries to achieve a "acceleration" of mutual benefit and win-win results. Taking day and night trains, trucks and flights, China's home appliances, daily necessities, new energy vehicles and other products continue to enter Central Asia, and high-quality products such as fertilizers, cotton, beef and mutton in Central Asia enter the vast Chinese market faster. Data from the General Administration of Customs of China shows that the total trade volume between China and Central Asian countries in 2024 reached US$94.8 billion, an increase of US$5.4 billion from the previous year, setting a record high.

On May 20, 2025, the first Central Asia train from Tianjin Port to Tashkent through Horgos will depart from Tianjin Port Wujie Sanduiyuan. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhao Zishuo

Sergei, a 38-year-old Kazakh farmer, told reporters that in recent years, he has cooperated with Chinese companies to try the "order agriculture" planting model, plant grain crops according to Chinese market needs, and has also received technical guidance and help from Chinese agricultural experts to solve the problem of "difficulty in growing grain and selling grain". The income has increased, and the family has more hope for a good life in the future.

From jointly building agricultural technology training bases, to building information technology industrial parks, from developing clean energy projects such as wind power and photovoltaics, to opening cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones, China and Central Asian countries have continuously expanded new areas and achieved new achievements, providing strong support for industrial upgrading and people's livelihood improvement in Central Asian countries.

This is the photovoltaic project in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, filmed on April 29, 2024. Xinhua News Agency (Photo provided by China Oriental Electric Group)

Abdukani Mamadazimov, a scholar at the Tajikistan University for Nationalities, said that the China-Central Asia mechanism has made outstanding contributions to the stable development of the region. "We look forward to the second China-Central Asia Summit continuing to deepen cooperation between the two sides, continuously improving infrastructure and logistics projects, forming a joint force in various industries and fields, and promoting common development and common prosperity."

Know each other and promote civilized exchanges and mutual learning

On May 31, the first China-Central Asia International Humanities and Tourism Special Train (Xi'an-Almaty Section) with the body painted with the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Ancient City Wall slowly drove into the Almaty Railway Station in Kazakhstan. The series of cultural exchange activities between China and Kazakhstan kicked off.

At the first China-Central Asia Summit, President Xi Jinping announced a series of cooperation initiatives such as the launch of a special humanistic tourism train for Central Asia. From the starting point of the Silk Road to the hinterland of Central Asia, the speeding train has built a new bridge for the mutual understanding of the people. Anuar Ahmed Zanov, vice president of the board of directors of Kazakhstan State Railway Company, said that he hopes that the opening of the special train will promote exchanges between the people of China and Central Asian countries and enhance mutual understanding.

On May 29, 2025, the China-Central Asia International Humanities and Tourism Special Train (Xi'an-Almaty Section) was launched from Xi'an, Shaanxi. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Yimiao

At present, China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan respectively implement mutual visa exemption policies. This year is the "China Tourism Year" in Kazakhstan and China's "Uzbekistan Tourism Year". More and more Chinese tourists are going to Samarkand, Bukhara and other ancient Silk Road cities to experience the Central Asian style, and "going to China" has also become a common choice for tourists from many Central Asian countries.

Between China and the central areas of Eurasian continent, the thousand-year-old Silk Road people travel and flow freely, bringing the mutual connection between people and cultural integration. From educational cooperation to local exchanges, from national governance exchanges to poverty reduction cooperation, in-depth and lasting dialogue and mutual learning in civilization make this friendship more mellow.

Vocational education cooperation opens the door to opportunities for Central Asian youth to the future. In Tajikistan, the first Luban workshop in Central Asia has been operating for more than two years, cultivating urban thermal energy application technology and engineering measurement technical talents for the local area; in Kazakhstan East Kazakhstan Prefecture, Luban Workshop focuses on cultivating automotive professional talents; in Astana, the second Luban Workshop in Kazakhstan is being prepared in full swing; Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan Luban Workshop was unveiled last year, and the construction of Luban Workshop in Turkmenistan continues to advance.

On June 14, 2024, students studied in the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Kaijun

"Chinese fever" and "Chinese fever" are heating up in Central Asian countries. The establishment of cultural centers between China and Central Asian countries is accelerating the promotion, and 13 Confucius Institutes have "are all over the world", and studying in China has become the choice of more and more young people in Central Asian countries. Today, China and Central Asian countries have formed nearly 100 pairs of friendly provinces, prefectures and cities, and the colorful exchange and cooperation projects involve youth, culture and tourism, economy and trade, media and other fields.

On May 9, 2025, students practiced car maintenance skills at the Luban Workshop in Oskmen, the capital of Kazakhstan's Eastern Kazakhstan Prefecture. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Renzi

Jointly restore the ancient city of Shiva in Uzbekistan, jointly excavate the Rakhat site in Kazakhstan, and jointly protect and inherit the long heroic epic "Manas" with Kyrgyzstan. The cooperation between China and Central Asian countries in the field of cultural heritage protection has allowed more Silk Road treasures to shine, and wrote a new chapter for the inheritance and development of Central Asian civilization.

Uzbekistan political observer Sharofidin Tulaganov said that the China-Central Asia mechanism has become an important platform for promoting mutual learning among civilizations and enhancing mutual understanding among the people, providing important support for deepening mutual understanding and trust, and injecting more humanistic power into maintaining regional peace and stability.

In the view of Aidar Amrebayev, director of the Political Research Center of the Institute of Philosophy, Politics and Religion, the Second China-Central Asia Summit will further deepen the unity and cooperation between China and Central Asian countries, promote the construction of a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future, and contribute to regional prosperity, development and improvement of global governance.

From Xi'an, which has been splendid for thousands of years to the vibrant Astana, in the vigorous wave of high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road", on the new journey of modernization, and in the dialogue of civilizations across time and space, China and Central Asian countries will surely inherit the friendship from generation to generation, continue to watch over each other, and make new contributions to maintaining world peace and development and promoting the progress of human civilization.