The presidents of five Central Asian states were warmly welcomed today in historic Xian, in China’s northwestern province of Shaanxi, by President Xi Jinping. He met with each of them individually and then held a wonderful welcoming celebration with them and their wives this evening. Xian is, of course, well known as the starting point of the ancient Silk Road. Note that this is also the 10th anniversary of the announcement of the momentous Belt and Road Initiative, which Xi announced from Kazakhstan in 2013.
Attending the summit are Presidents Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, Kassim-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, and Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan. Tomorrow, May 19, Xi Jinping will address the formal meeting of the group and present what has been described as a major development strategy for the region. A number of important documents will be signed and a joint press conference held after the meeting.
Giving a sense of the optimism surrounding the gathering, Uzbek Ambassador to China Farhod Arziev wrote in a commentary in CGTN, “the China-Central Asia Summit stirs within me a wellspring of expectations,” mentioning, among other things, the proposed establishment of a China-Central Asia Business Council and the planned launch of the “Year of Culture and Art of the Peoples of Central Asia and China.” The latter was an initiative proposed by Uzbek President Mirziyoyev, the ambassador explained.
