Chinese President Xi Jinping has embarked on a series of state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, culminating in his attendance at the 24th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. This marks a significant milestone in China's ongoing engagement with Central Asian nations.
Over the past three decades, China has evolved into the largest trading partner for all five Central Asian countries, with bilateral trade and mutual investments soaring by more than a hundredfold. President Xi's current visit aims to further solidify these economic ties and explore new avenues for cooperation.
Key focus areas of the visit include enhancing trade relations, fostering joint initiatives in infrastructure and technology, and collaborating on measures to contribute to global governance and world peace. Experts believe that these engagements will pave the way for sustained economic growth and regional stability.
In this edition of Dialogue, we engage with Assel Tutumlu, Associate Professor in Political Science at Near East University; Wang Jin, Associate Professor at Northwest University of China; and Alouddin Komilov, Research Fellow at the Center for Progressive Reforms in Uzbekistan, to delve into the implications of China's expanding influence in Central Asia.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
