Recently, the signing ceremony of the trilateral intergovernmental agreement on the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway project was held in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kyrgyz President Japarov, and Uzbek President Mirziyoyev sent video congratulations on the signing of the agreement. The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway is a strategic project for connectivity between China and Central Asia, and the signing of the trilateral intergovernmental agreement marks that the railway is turning from a vision into reality.

Since the successful holding of the first China–Central Asia Summit, China and the five Central Asian countries have continued to deepen political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation in depth, and continuously strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges. The achievements of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation have become more fruitful, injecting new impetus into building an even closer China–Central Asia community with a shared future.

　　"Further enhanced the sustainable development capacity of Central Asian countries"

From connectivity to production capacity cooperation, from clean energy to facility construction, China and Central Asian countries are advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Existing projects continue to make new progress, and more and more new projects are blossoming and bearing fruit.

Up to now, 26 of the 45 production capacity cooperation projects established between China and Kazakhstan have been completed; in Kyrgyzstan, the third phase of the new North-South Highway is under construction, and the first phase of the Issyk-Kul photovoltaic project has held its groundbreaking ceremony; in Tajikistan, projects such as the government building and parliament building and some key sections of the second phase of the China–Tajikistan Highway are being intensively implemented; in Uzbekistan, the 1,500-megawatt gas-fired power station project in Syrdarya Region has been put into operation, and the Olympic City project is progressing steadily...

Baktygulov, director of the Kyrgyz Institute of World Politics, said that under the framework of Belt and Road cooperation, Central Asian countries and China are carrying out increasingly rich and diverse mutually beneficial cooperation. "Cooperation with China has further enhanced the sustainable development capacity of Central Asian countries and effectively improved the well-being of local people."

In February this year, as one of the important outcomes of the China–Central Asia Summit, the Kazakhstan Xi'an Terminal, jointly built and operated by Xi'an Free Trade Port Construction and Operation Co., Ltd. and KTZ Express, was officially put into operation, becoming Kazakhstan's commercial and logistics distribution center in China. By the end of May, more than 18,000 tons of goods had been transshipped there.

Xie Tian, general manager of China-Kazakhstan (Xi'an) Commercial and Logistics Co., Ltd., the operator of the Xi'an terminal, comes from Kazakhstan. He said with confidence: "With this terminal, logistics exchanges between Kazakhstan and China will be more efficient and convenient, and economic and trade exchanges will also be smoother and faster."

Recently, a special train carrying 50 standard containers of photovoltaic modules departed from Wujiashan Station of the Hanxi Railway Station Section of China Railway Wuhan Group Co., Ltd., heading for Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. This is the first photovoltaic China-Europe freight train from Wuhan to Tashkent, building an efficient and stable land logistics corridor for the export of high-value-added and high-tech products to Central Asia.

Relying on China-Europe freight trains, cooperation between China and Central Asian countries has become closer. Dildora Karimova, an expert at the Institute of Macroeconomic and Regional Studies of Uzbekistan, said that the China-Europe freight trains running continuously across the Eurasian continent are constantly improving the cargo trade and transportation network between Central Asia and China, creating more favorable conditions for all parties to jointly build the Belt and Road.

　　"The Chinese market has huge potential and unlimited opportunities"

At the Aiju Healthy Life Experience Hall in the Xi'an International Trade and Logistics Park in China, goods from Central Asian countries such as beer, honey, biscuits, and candy are dazzlingly displayed. Before this year's May Day holiday, the experience hall imported ice cream from Kazakhstan for the first time.

"The Chinese market has huge potential and unlimited opportunities, and we cannot miss it," said Asenbek, marketing manager of Uzbekistan's Axiya International Trade Co., Ltd. In April this year, the company participated for the first time in the Fourth China International Consumer Products Expo, displaying traditional handicrafts such as scarves and shawls, which attracted widespread attention from Chinese merchants.

"The China International Import Expo is an important platform for promoting Kazakh products to the Chinese market. We have never been absent," said Assel Yegenberdiyeva, deputy director of the Kazakhstan Trade Policy Development Center. Kazakhstan was one of the guest countries of honor at the sixth CIIE held in November last year, with more than 40 institutions and enterprises participating in the exhibition. "We have fully felt the broad business opportunities and development space of the Chinese market from it," Yegenberdiyeva said.

In recent years, economic, trade, and investment cooperation between China and Central Asian countries has achieved leapfrog development. Tapping the potential of the China–Central Asia e-commerce cooperation dialogue mechanism, upgrading investment agreements between China and Central Asian countries, achieving full coverage of the "green channel" for rapid customs clearance of agricultural and sideline products at border ports, and increasing the types of Central Asian agricultural products imported by China... In 2023, the trade volume between China and the five Central Asian countries approached 90 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 27.2%, hitting a new historical high.

Jumakhonzoda, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tajikistan, said that as Central Asian countries and China continue to raise the level of cooperation in economy, trade, and other fields, the two sides face more new opportunities for achieving common development.

In March this year, the Secretariat of the China–Central Asia Mechanism was officially launched, once again demonstrating the firm determination of the six countries to work together for development and jointly promote cooperation. Wu Yingqin, executive director of the Secretariat of the China–Central Asia Mechanism, said that the secretariat will base itself on the cooperation needs of all parties, make every effort to implement the outcomes of the China–Central Asia Summit and the important consensus of the heads of state, and promote China–Central Asia cooperation to continuously achieve new results.

　　"Injecting a steady stream of strong impetus into the steady and long-term development of bilateral relations"

In the practical training area of the Luban Workshop at the East Kazakhstan Technical University in Kazakhstan, following the explanations of local teachers, students learn the operation and operating principles of vehicle maintenance equipment while earnestly practicing hands-on.

In December last year, this 700-square-meter Luban Workshop began trial operation. It currently has four major practical training areas, and in the future it will continue to expand the space used and enhance teaching strength. When inspecting the project, Kazakh President Tokayev said, "I hope there will be as many workshops like this in Kazakhstan as possible."

At the end of 2022, the first Luban Workshop in Central Asia started operation in Tajikistan, making a positive contribution to vocational training in Tajikistan. The Luban Workshop in Uzbekistan was successfully established in 2023, and the Luban Workshops in Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan are also being promoted and constructed. As a technical relay station promoting common development of all countries, the Luban Workshop has built an important bridge for people-to-people and cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between China and Central Asian countries.

From the establishment of multiple Luban Workshops in Central Asia to the promotion of mutual establishment of cultural centers, to co-producing films, translating books, and joint archaeological work, people-to-people and cultural cooperation between China and Central Asian countries is in full swing. Cooperation in education, culture, tourism, and local exchanges continues to expand, and the public opinion foundation for good-neighborly friendship is constantly being consolidated.

2023 was the "Chinese Culture Year" in Turkmenistan, and a series of cultural performance activities were successfully held in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat. Shirimov, deputy minister of culture of Turkmenistan, said that the series of activities of the "Chinese Culture Year" enabled the people of Turkmenistan to fully understand the unique charm of Chinese culture and art, and became a notable symbol of the growing friendly cooperation between the two countries.

This year is the "Kazakhstan Tourism Year" in China. China and Kazakhstan will hold many exciting events throughout the year, covering "ethnic village" exhibitions, craft fairs, food festivals, and more. In November last year, the two countries realized mutual visa exemption, further facilitating personnel exchanges. Kairat Batyrbayev, executive director of the Eurasian International Studies Association of Kazakhstan, said that deepening people-to-people and cultural exchanges between Kazakhstan and China will continuously enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

In Central Asian countries, the "China craze" and "Chinese language craze" continue to heat up. There are currently 13 Confucius Institutes and 24 Confucius Classrooms; the two sides have established more than 60 pairs of friendly provinces, states, and cities, and will promote more localities to establish friendly province-state and city relationships... Baktygulov said, "I believe that in the future, people-to-people and cultural exchange cooperation between Central Asian countries and China will expand significantly, enabling the peoples of both sides to know and understand each other better and injecting a steady stream of strong impetus into the steady and long-term development of bilateral relations."