…Delivers Keynote Speech
Chinese President Xi Jinping, has emphasized the need to work together for a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, featuring mutual assistance, common development, universal security and everlasting friendship. Xi made the call on the morning of May 19, 2022, when he chaired the inaugural China-Central Asia Summit in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province of China. In attendance were President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan; President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan; President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan; President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan.
During the meeting which held in an amicable atmosphere, the presidents reviewed the history of friendly exchanges between China and the five Central Asian countries, took stock of cooperation experience in various fields, and envisioned future cooperation directions. With the future in mind, they agreed to work together for an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future. Xi, on behalf of the Government and people of China, warmly welcomed the five presidents to Xi’an for the summit. Xi pointed out that in today’s world, transformation unseen in a century are accelerating; the international and regional situation is changing in profound and complex ways and both opportunities and challenges are unprecedented.
In the keynote speech entitled ‘Working Together for a China-Central Asia Community with a Shared Future Featuring Mutual Assistance, Common Development, Universal Security and Everlasting Friendship,’ Xi noted that Xi’an is an important cradle of the Chinese civilization and nation, adding that it is also the starting point of the ancient Silk Road on the east end.
Xi said: “With their joint endeavor of hundreds of years, Chinese and Central Asian peoples made the Silk Road expand and prosper, a historic contribution to the interaction, integration, enrichment and development of world civilizations. This gathering in Xi’an today to renew a millennia-old friendship and open up new vistas for the future is of very important significance.”
Xi also recalled putting forward the initiative of jointly building a Silk Road Economic Belt back in 2013, saying that over the past decade, China and Central Asian countries have worked closely together to fully revive the Silk Road and actively deepen future-oriented cooperation, steering their relations into a new era. “The China-Central Asia relationship is steeped in history, driven by broad actual needs, and built on solid popular support. The relations are brimming with vigor and vitality in the new era,” Xi also said.
While saying that changes of the world, of our times, and of the historical trajectory are taking place in ways like never before, Xi stated that Central Asia was at a crossroads connecting the East and West, the South and North.
According to Xi, “The world needs a stable Central Asia. The sovereignty, security, independence and territorial integrity of Central Asian countries must be upheld; their people’s choice of development paths must be respected; and their efforts for peace, harmony and tranquility must be supported.
“The world needs a prosperous Central Asia. A dynamic and prospering Central Asia will help people in the region achieve their aspiration for a better life. It will also lend strong impetus to global economic recovery.”
Xi also underscored that the summit created a new platform and opened up new prospects for China-Central Asia cooperation, assuring that China would take the summit as an opportunity to step up coordination with all parties for good planning, development and progress of China-Central Asia cooperation.
The Presidents of the five Central Asian countries thanked China for initiating and successfully hosting the inaugural China-Central Asia Summit, and spoke positively of the fruitful outcomes of their all-round cooperation with China.
With Frequent High-Level Mutual Visits, China-EU Relations Are Expected To Return To The Keynote Of Win-Win Cooperation
For over a month, leaders and dignitaries of many European countries have visited China intensively, and high-level Chinese officials have also visited Europe intensively recently. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, recently concluded his first trip to Europe since taking office, visiting Germany, France and Norway respectively. At the last stop in Norway, he said that through this visit, he deeply felt the positive willingness of the European side to strengthen communication and coordination with China and promote mutually beneficial cooperation.
At the same time, for the sustainable and stable development of China-EU relations, three points need to be adhered to: first, adhere to an inclusive world view; second, adhere to a progressive historical view; third, adhere to a mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation view.
Since November last year, European leaders and high-level leaders have generally emphasized that they do not seek to ‘decouple’ from China, but they have also continued to propose ‘de-risking’ China. In this regard, Qin Gang, pointed out during his visit to Europe that China is Europe’s partner in dealing with risks, and what China exports to Europe and the world is insurance rather than risks. He called on China and the EU to unanimously oppose ‘decoupling and broken chains’ and jointly adhere to the correct direction of economic globalization. He also urged China and the EU to jointly oppose the ‘new cold war’ and take the lead in promoting coordination and positive interaction among major powers.
Chinese Economy Stabilized, Rebounded In The First Quarter Of 2023
Since the beginning of year 2023, all regions and government departments in China have thoroughly implemented the decisions and plans of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, given priority to stability, sought progress, while maintaining stability, promoted high-quality development, and made great efforts to ensure steady growth, employment, and prices.
China has adopted proactive and effective macro policies and made steady and quick shifts in terms of epidemic prevention and control. Work and life have been returning to normal at a faster pace, production and demand have stabilized and rebounded, jobs and prices have become basically stable, business expectations have significantly improved, positive factors have been cumulatively increasing, and the economy has gotten off to a good start. The main features are as follows:
First, economic growth has stabilized and rebounded. In the first quarter, GDP grew by 4.5 percent year on year, 1.6 percentage points higher than that of the fourth quarter of last year and 2.2 percent, up from the previous quarter. It has grown faster than in the past. Agriculture has maintained steady growth. Animal husbandry has grown steadily, and agricultural production has remained stable. In the first quarter, the value added of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries increased by 3.8 percent year on year, and the output of pork, beef, mutton, and poultry meat increased by 2.5 percent. Industrial production has recovered steadily. In the first quarter, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size increased by three percent year on year, 0.3 percentage points higher than that in the fourth quarter of last year. The service sector has witnessed a marked rebound in growth rate.
Second, domestic demand has been expanding. Market sales have turned to increase. More opportunities and greater expectations to spend have driven market sales to expand and consumer spending in the service sector to rebound notably. In the first quarter, the total retail sales of consumer goods rose 5.8 percent from a year earlier, compared with a 2.7 percent decrease in the fourth quarter of last year. Retail sales in the service sector have demonstrated a good recovery momentum, of which catering revenue rose 13.9 percent. Investment has grown steadily.
While jobs and prices have remained basically stable, solid progress has been made in high-level opening up, including the transformation and upgrading that has continued, with new drivers of growth which continue to grow; and market vitality which has been growing, and expectations of business entities improved.
One-Year Anniversary Of The Global Security Initiative
In a world of change and disorder on the security front, President Xi Jinping put forward the important Global Security Initiative (GSI), calling on countries to adapt to the profoundly changing international landscape in the spirit of solidarity, and address the complex and intertwined security challenges with a win-win mindset. The GSI aims to eliminate the root causes of international conflicts, improve global security governance, encourage joint international efforts to bring more stability and certainty to a volatile and changing era, and promote durable peace and development in the world. his major initiative has been widely commended and warmly received by the international community, among which more than 80 countries and a number of international organizations have expressed appreciation and support.
As the initiator of the GSI, China has taken real actions to implement it. China has actively engaged in mediation diplomacy and made unremitting efforts for the political settlement of hotspot issues, including the Iranian nuclear issue, the issues on the Korean Peninsula, the Syrian issue and the Palestinian question.
Chinese Technology Helps Africa Pursue Quality Development
Burundi, an East African country known as the ‘heart of Africa,’ boasts of favorable conditions for rice production, thanks to its tropical climate with abundant rainfall. But Burundians have long been suffering from food shortage for the low yield of rice.
To help address the agricultural challenge in the country, China has sent five batches of senior experts under bilateral technical cooperation programs since August 2009. To conduct research and trials, the Chinese experts made field trips in all 15 rice-growing provinces in Burundi and successfully selected and introduced eight varieties of rice seed suitable to the local weather and environment. Thanks to their efforts, poor yields or the threat of total crop failure caused by rice plague in mountainous areas has become a thing of yesteryears.