TEMPO.CO, Jakarta -President of China Xi Jinping launched a grand plan for development Central Asia. This initiative makes Chinese taking on a new leadership role in an area that has traditionally been Russia’s sphere of influence.
Xi announced this plan in his speech at the China and Central Asia summit in northwestern China, Friday, May 19, 2023.
He stressed that China is ready to coordinate development strategies with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and promote the modernization of all of them.
During a press conference with his central Asian counterparts, Xi said the summit had added a new impetus to the development and revitalization of six counties. He also said that this cooperation had injected strong positive energy into regional peace and stability.
“We will jointly develop a new paradigm of high-level complementary and mutually beneficial cooperation,” Xi said.
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With this engagement, China has put itself at the forefront of the race for political influence and energy assets in the resource-rich region, at a time when Russia is distracted by its war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan reduced Washington’s presence in the region.
Five former Soviet republics, with a network of trade corridors, offer China alternative routes for transporting fuel, food and other commodities in the event of disruption elsewhere.
Pledges of support and cooperation at the two-day summit will present a stark contrast to the “negative” image China put forth at the Group of Seven (G7) leaders’ summit in Japan that started Friday.
China’s support for Central Asia also appears to be a counterbalance to US accusations of coercive diplomacy.
Xi said China and Central Asian countries should deepen trust and offer “clear and firm support” on core interests such as sovereignty, independence, national dignity and long-term development.
He did not mention Ukraine, which like Central Asian countries, was part of the Soviet Union. “China is ready to help Central Asian countries improve their law enforcement, security and defense capability-building,” he said.
