Summit set to boost ties with Central Asia

Event expected to enhance cooperation, promote solidarity among the six nations

President Xi Jinping will host heads of state from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on Thursday and Friday in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, for the China-Central Asia Summit, a milestone event that is expected to boost the countries' economic cooperation and jointly tackle the region's security challenges at a higher level.

The summit takes place against the backdrop of the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, mounting geopolitical competition and the ongoing Ukraine crisis.

It is also taking place as the G7 Summit is due to be held from Friday to Sunday in Hiroshima, Japan. The G7 member states are expected to issue a statement on "economic security" that is likely to highlight issues such as countering China's so-called "economic coercion" and ending "dependence" on China in fields such as semiconductors and critical minerals.