(Astana, June 17, 2025)

President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China

"People's Daily Overseas Edition" (2025-06-18, 2025)

Dear President Tokayev,

Dear colleagues and friends:

I am very happy to come to the beautiful Astana and attend the second China-Central Asia Summit with you. Thanks to President Tokayev and the Kazakh government for their enthusiastic and thoughtful arrangements.

Two years ago, we gathered in Xi'an, China and jointly planned the "Xi'an Vision" for China-Central Asia cooperation. The six pomegranate trees we planted together have already covered the branches, symbolizing the prosperity of cooperation between the six countries.

Over the past two years, China and Central Asian countries have deepened and implemented the "Belt and Road" together, with trade volume increasing by 35%, and cooperation in industrial investment, green minerals, scientific and technological innovation has been actively promoted. A package of financial support projects provided by China is being fully implemented. More and more Chinese products such as new energy vehicles and photovoltaics are entering Central Asia, and Central Asian agricultural products such as honey, fruits, wheat, and poultry have enriched the dining tables of Chinese people.

In the past two years, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Ukraine Railway Project has been officially launched, the planning of the third railway between China and Kazakhstan has been steadily advanced, the restoration of the second phase of the China-Taman Highway has been smoothly progressing, and China-Tuke energy cooperation has been steadily carried out. More and more Chinese cities are opening Central Asia trains, and the quality and capacity of the cross-Caspian International Transport Corridor is improved and expanded. Green industry, digital economy, artificial intelligence, aerospace and aerospace have become new growth points for cooperation between the two sides. New models and new business formats such as cross-border e-commerce and online education benefit the people of China and Central Asian countries.

In the past two years, China and Central Asian countries have made progress in setting up cultural centers, opening Chinese universities and branches and Luban workshops. China and Kazakhstan and Ukraine have achieved visa exemption. Last year, there were more than 1.2 million people in China and Kazakhstan alone. Central Asian National Tourism Year, Cultural Year and Art Festival are very popular in China. Chinese film and television works such as "Mountains and Seas" and "My Altay" have become popular in Central Asia, and the China-Central Asia cultural tourism train has been successfully launched. Today, we will witness China breaking through 100 pairs with Central Asian friendly cities.

Over the past two years, the China-Central Asia mechanism has established 13 ministerial cooperation platforms, the Secretariat has been fully operational, and the four pillars and eight pillars have basically taken shape.

I was delighted to see that from Xi'an, the ancient capital of the thousand-year-old to Astana, the pearl of the grassland, from the coast of the Yellow Sea to the shore of the Caspian Sea, from the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains to the Pamir Plateau, the consensus of the first China-Central Asia Summit was fully implemented, the road of cooperation became wider and wider, and the flower of friendship became brighter and brighter.

Colleagues and friends!

Our cooperation is rooted in more than two thousand years of friendly exchanges, consolidated in more than 30 years of unity and mutual trust in the establishment of diplomatic relations, and developed in openness and win-win since the new era. In long-term practice, we have explored and formed the "China-Central Asia Spirit" of "mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, and mutual assistance, and promote common modernization with high-quality development."

——Adhere to mutual respect and equal treatment, the country treats everyone equally regardless of size. If you have any questions, everyone will discuss and make decisions through consensus.

——Adhere to deepen mutual trust and simultaneous response, firmly support each other in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, and do not do anything that harms each other's core interests.

——Adhere to mutual benefit and win-win and common development, be priority partners, give each other development opportunities, take into account the interests of all parties, and achieve win-win symbiosis.

——Adhere to watching and helping each other and working together, support each other on a development path that conforms to national conditions, do your own things well, work together to respond to various risks and challenges, and jointly maintain regional security and stability.

The "China-Central Asia Spirit" provides important guidance for friendly cooperation for generations. We must always uphold it and continue to carry it forward.

Colleagues and friends!

At present, the century-old changes are accelerating, and the world has entered a new period of turbulent and change. Only by unwavering the desire for fairness and justice and not falling in the ambition of mutual benefit and win-win can we maintain world peace and achieve common development. There are no winners in tariff wars and trade wars, and unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemony are destined to hurt others and ourselves.

I have always advocated that history cannot retreat, but should move forward; the world cannot be divided, but should be united; mankind cannot return to the law of the jungle, but should build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Three years ago, we jointly announced the construction of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, pointing out the goals and directions for the six countries to build consensus, overcome challenges, and seek common development. We must take the "China-Central Asia Spirit" as the guide, strengthen cooperation with a more enterprising attitude and more pragmatic measures, promote the high-quality development of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road", and forge ahead toward the goal of a community with a shared future.

First, we must adhere to the original intention of unity of trust and support for each other. China has always regarded Central Asia as a priority direction for neighboring diplomacy, adheres to the concept of good neighborhood, peace, wealth, friendship, friendship, friendship, friendship, friendship, and inclusiveness. It has equal exchanges with Central Asian countries and treats each other sincerely, and always hopes for relatives and neighbors.

Today, we will jointly sign a permanent treaty of good-neighborliness and friendly cooperation to fix the principles of generational friendship in the form of law. This is a new milestone in the history of the six-country relations and a pioneering achievement in China's neighboring diplomacy. It benefits the present and the future.

Second, we must optimize the pragmatic, efficient and deeply integrated cooperation layout. We agree that 2025 to 2026 will be the "Year of High-Quality Development of China-Central Asia Cooperation". We must focus on smooth trade, industrial investment, interconnection, green minerals, agricultural modernization, personnel exchanges, etc., implement more specific projects, and strive to achieve early harvests as soon as possible.

China is willing to share development experience and the latest technological achievements with Central Asian countries, promote digital infrastructure connectivity, strengthen artificial intelligence cooperation, and cultivate new quality productivity.

In order to promote relevant cooperation, China has decided to establish three major cooperation centers for poverty reduction, education exchanges, and desertification prevention and control and a smooth trade cooperation platform within the framework of China-Central Asia cooperation. China is willing to provide 1.5 billion yuan of free aid to Central Asian countries this year to implement people's livelihood and development projects that are of concern to all countries; it is willing to provide 3,000 training places to Central Asian countries in the next two years.

Third, we must create a security pattern of peace, tranquility and sharing weal and woe. We must strengthen regional security governance, continue to deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, work together to prevent and resist extremist ideas, resolutely crack down on the "three forces", and jointly maintain regional peace and stability.

China supports Central Asian countries in its efforts to achieve modernization of national defense and law enforcement security, and is willing to provide all countries with the best of their ability to combat terrorism and transnational organized crime, maintain network and biosecurity, and implement more safe city projects and joint training cooperation.

Afghanistan is our closest neighbor. We must strengthen cooperation to help Afghanistan improve its independent development capabilities and achieve peace, stability and reconstruction and development as soon as possible.

Fourth, we must strengthen the humanistic bond of unity and morality, knowing each other and getting along with each other. China will strengthen cooperation with Central Asian countries' legislative bodies, political parties, women, youth, media, think tanks, etc., carry out in-depth exchanges of experience in governing the country, and share experiences such as green development, poverty reduction, and anti-corruption.

China is willing to open more cultural centers, university branches, and Luban workshops in Central Asia, add Central Asian language majors in Chinese universities, continue to implement the "China-Central Asian Technology Skills Improvement Plan" and cultivate more high-quality talents for Central Asian countries.

China supports deepening China-Central Asia local cooperation, taking friendly city exchanges as a bridge, and cultural exchanges as a starting point to jointly create a "heart-to-heart connectivity" pattern from the central government to the local government, from the official to the private, and from adjacent areas to a wider region.

I hope that the personnel exchange convenience measures passed today will be implemented as soon as possible, so that people in the six countries will travel more conveniently and efficiently, and will come and go frequently like visiting relatives, and become more and more intimate as they go.

Fifth, we must maintain a fair, reasonable, equal and orderly international order. China supports Central Asian countries to play a greater role in international affairs, is willing to work with all parties to defend international fairness and justice, oppose hegemony and power politics, and actively promote an equal and orderly world multipolarization, inclusive and inclusive economic globalization.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. In the arduous and arduous era of war, China and the people of Central Asia supported each other, shared weal and woe, and made important contributions to the just cause of mankind. We must carry forward the correct historical view, defend the achievements of the victory of World War II, safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, and inject more stability and certainty into world peace and development.

Colleagues and friends!

At present, China is comprehensively promoting the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation with Chinese modernization. No matter how the international situation changes, China has always insisted on opening up to the outside world and is willing to carry out higher quality cooperation with Central Asian countries, deepen the integration of interests, and achieve common development.

Colleagues and friends!

The Chinese sages said: "Love each other and benefit each other." There is also a proverb in Central Asia: "Harmony and unity are happiness and wealth." China is willing to work with all parties to carry forward the "China-Central Asian Spirit", anchor the goal of a community with a shared future, and promote China-Central Asian cooperation to continuously achieve new achievements!

Thank you everyone.