Chinese President, Xi Jinping has arrived in Kazakhstan ahead of the second China-Central Asia Summit as Beijing aims to firm up ties in the energy-rich and strategically important region.
The summit, which will be held on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in the Kazakh capital Astana, comes at a time when China is intensifying its outreach to Central Asian countries amid shifting global power alignments — and mounting tensions in neighbouring Iran, which is roiled in an escalating conflict with Israel.
The trip is Xi’s third abroad this year and his sixth to Kazakhstan in the decade or so since he became President, making it Xi’s second most visited country after Russia.
He is accompanied on the trip by top aide Cai Qi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and was greeted on arrival in Astana by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
In addition to Xi and Tokayev, leaders from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan will be in Astana for the summit, two years after the Chinese city of Xian hosted the first gathering.
At the 2023 meeting, China and the five Central Asian countries signed various agreements on interconnectivity and renewable energy.
This week’s summit comes as leaders of the Group of 7 gather half a world away in Canada to confront a global economy battered by uncertainty and conflict.
Sun Weidong, head of the China-Central Asia Mechanism which organises the regional summit, wrote in Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily that Beijing’s aims were to deepen political trust between the partners, stabilise global industrial and supply chains, and foster an open and stable trade environment.
“Amid a complex and ever-changing international landscape, China and Central Asian countries will continue to deepen solidarity and mutual trust, firmly support each other on issues concerning their core interests, and further explore cooperation potential.”
Sun Weidong
He stressed that the mechanism’s partners were steadfast in defending multilateralism, upholding international trade rules, and advocating for greater international cooperation while rejecting unilateralism and protectionism.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Xi is expected to deliver a keynote speech at the summit and “exchange views on the achievements of the China-Central Asia mechanism, mutually beneficial cooperation under the framework, and international and regional hotspot issues.”
Central Asia has a wealth of oil, gas, uranium, and rare earth metal reserves, and is vital to China’s efforts to both diversify its energy sources and trade routes to Europe and the Middle East.
At the same time, the five Central Asian republics have been working to lessen their reliance on Russia and expand partnerships with other nations.
As with the G7 meeting, one of the main items on the summit’s agenda is expected to be the US tariff war.
Xi is expected to be in Astana from June 16 to 18, 2025 and is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Kazakhstan’s leaders today before the summit tomorrow, June 17, 2025.
The office of Kazakhstan’s President noted that both countries are “set to further strengthen bilateral ties” and Xi will also chair “high-level talks with President [Tokayev] focused on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership.”
Deep, Multifaceted Cooperation Between China And Central Asian Countries
Zhao Long, a Senior Research fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), told a news agency that Central Asian countries see their partnership with China as a deep, multifaceted cooperation grounded in shared strategic and pragmatic interests.
“The alignment with China helps Central Asian states enhance their regional stability, pursue economic modernisation, and diversify their diplomatic portfolios.”
Zhao Long
Where Central Asia has abundant energy resources, he said, China offers vast markets, advanced technology, and infrastructure expertise.
Zhao added that Xi’s attendance at the second summit sends a clear message that China places high strategic importance on Central Asia.
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