China on Saturday put forward five proposals for deepening China-Central Asia cooperation at the sixth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
First, be firm in upholding good faith and fostering harmony; second, stick to mutually beneficial cooperation; third, continue to advance institutional development; fourth, adhere to fairness and justice; and fifth, be firm in friendship for generations, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the United States, acting unilaterally, has imposed arbitrary tariffs on more than 180 countries, infringing upon their legitimate rights and interests.
China has stepped forward and taken necessary countermeasures, not only to defend its own legitimate rights and interests, but also to safeguard international rules and order as well as international fairness and justice, he said.
As the world’s second-largest economy and a responsible major country, China will unswervingly advance high-level opening up, seek common development with neighboring countries, share opportunities with the world, shoulder its due international responsibilities, and fulfill its international obligations, said Wang.
Murat Nurtleu, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Kazakhstan, Jeenbek Kulubaev, foreign minister of Kyrgyzstan, Sirojiddin Muhriddin, foreign minister of Tajikistan, Bakhtiyor Saidov, foreign minister of Uzbekistan, and Parahat Durdyev, Turkmenistan’s ambassador to China, also attended the meeting.
The attending foreign ministers from Central Asian countries said that each country is ready to strengthen the alignment between their national development strategies and the Belt and Road Initiative, jointly combat the “three evil forces” of terrorism, extremism and separatism, and fight transnational crime, so as to maintain regional peace and stability.
All sides agreed that China serves as a stabilizing force in a turbulent world and has demonstrated leadership in supporting multilateralism. They also expressed support for international trade rules and their rejection of unilateral protectionist practices.
The Saturday meeting laid a comprehensive political foundation for the upcoming second China-Central Asia Summit later this year and facilitated in-depth discussions on advancing China-Central Asia cooperation across all fields.
China and Central Asian countries will continue to maintain close communication and coordination through diplomatic channels to ensure the complete success and fruitful outcomes of the upcoming China-Central Asia Summit, said a press release from the Sixth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
All sides reaffirmed their firm support for each other on core interests such as sovereignty, independence, security, and territorial integrity, and opposed external forces interfering in the internal affairs of countries participating in the mechanism, the press release said.
The Central Asian countries highly valued and expressed their willingness to actively implement the Global Security Initiative proposed by China, it said.
All sides expressed willingness to deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and implement mutually beneficial projects in infrastructure construction, digital connectivity and the green economy, according to the press release.
The parties will continue efforts to enhance Central Asia’s role in ensuring international energy and food security, developing international transport and logistics routes, and securing the smooth supply of key goods, it said.
SOURCE: CGTN News