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Central Asian leaders meet in China for 'milestone' summit

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Deutsche Welle

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A handout photo made available by the Press Service of the President of Kyrgyzstan shows Kyrgyzstan" s="" President="" Sadyr="" Japarov="" and="" his="" wife="" Aigul="" Emomali="" Kassym-Jomart="" Chinese="" Xi="" Jinping="" Peng="" Serdar="" Shavkat="" Mirziyoyev="" Ziroatkhon="" Hoshimova="" pose="" for="" a="" picture="" during="" the="" welcome="" ceremony="" China-Central="" Asia="" summit="" in="" Shaanxi="" May="" EPA-EFE="" Kyrgyzstan="" Press="" Service="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/overseas/05/19/20230519-central-asian-leaders-epa.jpg"/><figcaption>A handout photo made available by the Press Service of the President of Kyrgyzstan shows Kyrgyzstan&#x27;s President Sadyr Japarov and his wife Aigul Japarova, Tajikistan&#x27;s President Emomali Rahmon, Kazakhstan&#x27;s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, Turkmenistan&#x27;s President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, Uzbekistan&#x27;s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his wife Ziroatkhon Hoshimova pose for a picture during the welcome ceremony for the China-Central Asia summit in Xian, Shaanxi province, China, May 18, 2023. EPA-EFE/Kyrgyzstan President Press Service/Handout</figcaption></figure></div>The heads of Central Asian countries met in the Chinese city of Xian on Thursday where Chinese leader Xi Jinping is hosting a summit that is expected to result in a regional agreement with Beijing.Following one-on-one talks with Xi on Thursday, leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will hold group a group discussion with the Chinese president on Friday.This is the first time the leaders of the Central Asian countries are meeting in-person with the Chinese president. Xi will give an &quot;important&quot; speech and an &quot;important&quot; political document will also be signed during the two-day conference, according to China&#x27;s foreign ministry.During talks on Thursday with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, Xi said China was &quot;willing to work with Kyrgyzstan to build a community of good neighborliness, friendship, shared prosperity, and a shared future.&quot;Zhaparov expressed his willingness to expand trade, economic and investment links with China. &quot;We provide each other with support on topical, vital issues for each of our states,&quot; he said.Ahead of the summit, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Xi on Wednesday, with the two countries agreeing to build &quot;an enduring friendship.&quot;<div>China&#x27;s push for global leadership</div>The summit, which coincides with a meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) leaders in Japan, seeks to build regional influence and is of &quot;milestone significance,&quot; Beijing has said.The conference comes at a time when Russia is facing Western sanctions for its war in Ukraine and also amid China&#x27;s intensified efforts to boost its influence as a global leader.Central Asia remains a key region for China&#x27;s trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, a monumental project for Xi.Experts believe at the summit, China will try to secure deals for building vast transport links and pipelines, including a $6 billion China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway line and an expansion of the Central Asia-to-China gas pipeline, news agency AFP reported.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/04/17/23/g-7-top-diplomats-agree-on-unity-over-china">G-7 top diplomats agree on unity over China as talks begin in Japan</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/04/16/23/g7-pledges-to-quit-fossil-fuels-faster-but-no-new-deadline">G7 pledges to quit fossil fuels faster, but no new deadline</a></li></ul>

The Central Asian summit is being held in China's Xian city at the same time as the rival G7 summit in Japan.