Wang Yi Attends the Third "China+Central Asia" Foreign Ministers' Meeting

On June 8, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the third "China+Central Asia" (C+C5) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nur-Sultan, which was chaired by Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi and attended by Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev, Tajik Minister of Transport Azim Ibrohim, and Uzbek Acting Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov.

Wang Yi said that two years ago, the mechanism for the C+C5 foreign ministers' meeting was established. Over the past two years, we have worked together to fight the pandemic, focus on economic recovery and promote regional stability, achieving tangible results. At the beginning of this year, the heads of state of the six countries jointly announced the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, charting the course for cooperation among the six countries and ushering the China-Central Asia relations into a new era.

Wang Yi said, currently, as the once-in-a-century changes and pandemic as well as the Ukraine crisis continue to wreak havoc on the international political, economic and security systems, the world finds itself in a new period of turbulence and transformation. Facing a world of chaos and changes, what kind of Central Asia to be built and how to promote relations between China and Central Asian countries are major issues that we must properly resolve.

Wang Yi said that China and Central Asia are closely interdependent like lips and teeth, share weal and woe, and have become a community with a shared future moving forward shoulder to shoulder. No matter how the international landscape may evolve, China will always firmly support Central Asian countries in safeguarding their sovereignty and independence, pursuing development paths suited to their national conditions and building an independent Central Asia; firmly support Central Asian countries in maintaining political security and social stability and building a peaceful Central Asia; firmly support Central Asian countries in accelerating economic development, improving people's well-being and building a prosperous Central Asia; firmly support Central Asian countries in seeking strength through unity for win-win results and building a cooperative Central Asia. China stands ready to uphold the principles of mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times, mutual benefit and win-win results, strengthen solidarity and coordination with Central Asian countries and work together to build a closer China-Central Asian community with a shared future.

Wang Yi put forward five suggestions:

First, improve the institutional pillars for cooperation among the six countries. It is of great strategic significance to establish a mechanism for the C+C5 heads of state summit. We should make elaborate preparations and give full play to the leading role of the head of state diplomacy. We should actively carry out exchanges and dialogues in various fields. China will host forums at the sub-national level and on think tanks, industry, investment, economic and trade cooperation to unleash the potential of C+C5 cooperation in an all-round, multi-tiered and multi-dimensional manner.

Second, build a robust engine for post-pandemic recovery. We should pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and accelerate the synergy of development strategies. We should actively advance the natural gas pipeline project, ensure the safe operation of major arteries such as the China-Europe freight trains, speed up the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway project, and support the construction of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor. We should expand cooperation in emerging areas and jointly build a digital Silk Road and a green Silk Road. We should explore new cooperation formats in modern agriculture and safeguard agricultural security in the six countries. We should explore ways to promote financial cooperation and further increase the scale of local currency settlements.

Third, build a solid fortress for regional peace. We should coordinate efforts to safeguard security in both traditional and non-traditional areas, deepen security cooperation for jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, and pool efforts to combat the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, drug trafficking, and transnational organized crimes. We should stay united to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and put up multiple lines of defense. We should strengthen cooperation on work safety and disaster management and improve the capacity and level of emergency management. We should continue to make good use of the Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the Afghan Issue Among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan, the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group and other mechanisms.

Fourth, explore multiple paths for people-to-people and cultural exchanges. We should promote the establishment of cultural centers in each other's country and carry forward the positive energy of friendship from generation to generation. We should implement the "One Country, One Workshop" plan to cultivate high-quality skilled talents. We should strengthen cooperation and share experience in poverty alleviation. We should step up cooperation in areas such as climate change, biodiversity conservation and environmental protection technology, and jointly build a beautiful homeland where humanity and nature exist in harmony.

Fifth, pool positive forces for global governance. We should implement the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative and build a community with a shared future for mankind. We should uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, practice true multilateralism, promote the common values of humanity, and support all countries in safeguarding their core interests.

Wang Yi stressed that China will not stop its pace of development and revitalization and will not waver over its resolve to cooperate with other countries. China will continue to be an important contributor to world economic growth and a firm defender of international equity and justice. A developing and prosperous China not only augurs well for the world, but also brings new opportunities for the development of Central Asian countries.

All parties spoke highly of the C+C5 cooperation mechanism, saying that China is a good neighbor and partner of the Central Asian countries as well as their largest trade and investment partner. The two sides enjoy strong mutual trust and fruitful cooperation. They thanked China for providing strong support for infrastructure construction, improvement of people's livelihood and connectivity in Central Asian countries, and for taking the lead in helping Central Asian countries fight the pandemic. The relationship between Central Asian countries and China enjoys a solid foundation and broad prospects. Their determination to deepen traditional friendship, consolidate strategic coordination and expand mutually beneficial cooperation has never changed. All parties are ready to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the six countries, tap the potential of the C+C5 cooperation mechanism, and build a Central Asia of peace, friendship, mutual assistance and harmony. Central Asian countries fully support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and the building of a green Silk Road and a digital Silk Road. They look forward to learning from China's successful development experience, so as to help Central Asian countries explore paths of poverty alleviation and development to achieve innovative and sustainable development.

In the face of new challenges posed by the current turbulent international situation, all parties expressed their readiness to strengthen bilateral and multilateral coordination, safeguard sovereignty, security and national values, uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, jointly combat the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, safeguard food security and maintain peace, stability and development in the region and Asia. All parties spoke highly of China's constructive role in preventing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, and will jointly devote to promoting peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan.

All parties agreed with the establishment of the mechanism for the C+C5 head of states summit, and adopted four outcome documents, including the Joint Statement of China+Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the Roadmap for the Implementation of the Consensus Reached at the Virtual Summit between China and Central Asian Countries, the Initiative on Deepening China+Central Asia Connectivity Cooperation, and the Data Security Cooperation Initiative of China+Central Asia.