Xi to host first China-Central Asia summit this month
President Xi Jinping will host a two-day summit with the leaders of five Central Asian nations next week, Beijing said on Monday, as China moves to increase its influence in the region, AFP reports.
Leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are expected to attend the China-Central Asia Summit from May 18 to 19, said China's foreign ministry.
The summit in the historic city of Xi'an on the ancient Silk Road is the first of its kind since the establishment of formal relations 31 years ago, according to the ministry, and will focus on strengthening economic and diplomatic ties with Beijing.
China, the world's second-largest energy consumer, has invested billions of dollars to tap natural gas reserves in Central Asia. Rail links connecting China to Europe criss-cross the region and are key to the success of Xi's trillion-dollar global infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative.
Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday that Xi would deliver a keynote speech during the summit, billed as China's first major diplomatic event of the year, and the leaders would jointly sign "important political documents".
"The heads of state will review the development of China-Central Asia relations and exchange views on China-Central Asia cooperation in various fields and on major international and regional issues of common concern," Wang told a regular briefing.
