Source: Global Times
From July 2 to 6, Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, and pay state visits to the two countries at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of the Republic of Tajikistan Rahmon. On the eve of the visit, Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan Zhang Xiao said in an exclusive interview with the Global Times that since its establishment 23 years ago, the SCO has made important contributions to promoting regional security, stability, development and prosperity, and that the SCO Astana Summit will be held soon, when the leaders of the SCO member states will further promote the "Shanghai Spirit" and anchor the course for building a SCO community with a shared future.
Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan Zhang Xiao
Astana summit will further promote the "Shanghai spirit"
Global Times: What is the role of the SCO in international and regional affairs in the current situation? What can we expect from Astana?
Zhang Xiao: Since its establishment 23 years ago, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has developed into the world's largest and most populous regional cooperation organization, with huge development potential, becoming an important security barrier, a bridge of cooperation, a friendly bond and a constructive force in the region, making important contributions to promoting regional security, stability, development and prosperity, and setting an example of a new type of state-to-state relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation.
At present, the world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century, and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change. In order to maintain their unipolar hegemonic status, certain major countries have reverted to the Cold War mentality, rallied their allies to form small circles, engaged in unilateral sanctions, erected protectionist barriers, instrumentalized and weaponized human rights and economic and financial institutions, and even engaged in "decoupling and breaking chains", resulting in a dilemma in the recovery of the world economy, a threat to the strategic autonomy of the "Global South", and setbacks in the recovery and revitalization of emerging markets and developing countries.
Against this backdrop, the SCO has remained true to its original aspiration and has always been actively practicing the "Shanghai Spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and seeking common development. With more and more countries applying to join the SCO family, the SCO is injecting more stability and positive energy into regional security, stability, development and prosperity.
The SCO summit in Astana is coming soon. At that time, the leaders of the SCO member states will further promote the "Shanghai Spirit" and have an in-depth exchange of views on a wide range of topics, including deepening the development of the SCO and cooperation in various fields, so as to anchor the course for building the SCO community with a shared future.
What is the Permanent Comprehensive Strategic Partnership?
Global Times: Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan in 1992, the two sides have maintained close high-level exchanges, and the exchange and cooperation mechanism at all levels has been sound and running smoothly. As a diplomat who has been active on the front line all year round, how do you view the current China-Kazakhstan relations? How should we understand the profound connotation of the China-Kazakhstan "permanent comprehensive strategic partnership"?
Zhang Xiao: China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers who share a common destiny. Over the past 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, bilateral relations have continued to develop by leaps and bounds, reaching the highest level in the history of the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. I would like to summarize the current China-Kazakhstan relations with the following key words.
First, the foundation is solid. The leaders of the two countries have exchanged visits and meetings frequently, and have established a good working relationship and a profound personal friendship. The two sides have a complete intergovernmental cooperation mechanism at all levels and smooth communication channels.
Second, there is a high degree of mutual trust. China and Kazakhstan firmly support each other's core interests and major concerns, have a high degree of convergence on international and regional issues of common concern, and resolutely oppose politicization of human rights issues, interference in the internal affairs of other countries and double standards.
Third, cooperation and mutual benefit. China is Kazakhstan's largest trading partner, and the two sides have achieved fruitful results in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and have built an all-round, three-dimensional and large-scale interconnection network, with many highlights in new areas of cooperation such as new energy, big data and cross-border e-commerce, which have greatly benefited the economic development and improvement of people's livelihood of the two countries.
Fourth, take responsibility. China and Kazakhstan will work together to implement the "Three Global Initiatives" and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China has worked closely with the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the China-Central Asia Mechanism and other frameworks, and made "China-Kazakhstan contributions" to promoting the development of a more just and reasonable global governance system.
As you said, at present, the mainland has established strategic partnerships or comprehensive strategic partnerships with many countries in the world, but it is indeed unique that China and Kazakhstan have positioned their relations as "permanent comprehensive strategic partnerships." What is "permanent"? China-Kazakhstan friendship began with the "Ancient Silk Road" and emerged from the Belt and Road Initiative in the new era. For a long time, the peoples of the two countries have continued to write a beautiful chapter in the friendship between China and Kazakhstan. China was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Kazakhstan. Today, the two countries continue to deepen political mutual trust, actively expand all-round mutually beneficial cooperation, and work together to build a China-Kazakhstan community with a shared future featuring friendship for generations, a high degree of mutual trust and solidarity. Standing in the long river of history and looking at the past and the present, China and Kazakhstan have worked together to experience the past, jointly build the present, and look forward to the future side by side. Therefore, positioning China-Kazakhstan relations as a "permanent comprehensive strategic partnership" is not only objective and accurate, but also reflects the full affirmation and good expectations of China and Kazakhstan for bilateral relations.
Global Times: Kazakhstan is the first place to jointly build the "Belt and Road". Over the past 10 years, what achievements have China and Kazakhstan made in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative? How will the two sides continue to promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative?
Zhang Xiao: The Belt and Road Initiative has become the world's largest and most popular platform for international cooperation. As the "first place", Kazakhstan has a special and important position in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road". The high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Kazakhstan is prominently reflected in the word "real", which has yielded fruitful results and has become a benchmark and model on a global scale.
This year is the first year for the Belt and Road Initiative to enter a new stage of high-quality development, and China and Kazakhstan will continue to uphold the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and jointly build another "golden decade" of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between the two countries.
Global Times: In the fields of clean energy and new energy, what is the current situation of cooperation between China and Kazakhstan? What are the areas that can be focused on development in the future?
Zhang Xiao: China and Kazakhstan have always been pioneers in production capacity cooperation. The China-Kazakhstan production capacity cooperation meets the development needs of both sides, with an early start, a solid foundation, a perfect mechanism, and fruitful results. In recent years, within the framework of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, a number of high-quality new energy cooperation projects between the two countries have been successfully put into operation in Kazakhstan. The Zanatas Wind Farm, the Turgusun Hydropower Station, and the Akmola Oblast Wind Power Project are providing strong impetus for Kazakhstan's economic development and low-carbon transition. Chinese car brands such as Changan, Chery and Haval have enriched the choices of Harbin consumers and provided a large number of job opportunities for local people.
Looking ahead, China is ready to work with Kazakhstan to seize the historical opportunity of the rapid development of the world's new energy industry, continue to carry out constructive cooperation in the fields of policies, standards and investment, promote the upgrading of domestic industries and economic development, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of economy, trade and manufacturing between the two countries, so as to better benefit the two peoples.
It will inject new impetus into the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future
Global Times: In the current complex and volatile international situation, what kind of cooperation has China and Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, carried out? How to inject new impetus into the joint building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future?
Zhang Xiao: In May 2023, the first China-Central Asia Summit was successfully held, and the China-Central Asia Summit mechanism was officially established, ushering in a new era of bilateral relations. At a time of turbulence in the international situation, China and Central Asian countries are working together to address challenges and build a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.
The five Central Asian countries support China's position on Taiwan-related issues, Xinjiang-related issues, human rights and other issues, and China firmly supports the five Central Asian countries in safeguarding national sovereignty and independence, opposing foreign interference, and independently exploring their own development paths. Pragmatic cooperation continues to expand, from production capacity cooperation to interconnection, from agricultural cooperation to clean energy, from the "steel camel caravan" of the China-Europe train to the opening of new routes of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, more and more cooperation projects have blossomed, and the "Belt and Road" has become a "road of happiness" to bring well-being to the people; People-to-people exchanges are becoming increasingly close, personnel exchanges are more convenient, a number of Luban workshops and traditional medicine centers have landed in Central Asia, the pace of mutual cultural centers has been accelerating, sports tourism and other cultural activities have been splendid, and the public opinion foundation for friendly relations between the two sides has become more solid. International cooperation has been continuously strengthened, relying on platforms such as the China-Central Asia Mechanism, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the CICA Conference, to maintain close communication on regional security and development issues in a timely manner, jointly combat the "three forces", and jointly safeguard the long-term peace and stability, development and prosperity of the Central Asian region.
China and Central Asian countries are linked by mountains and rivers, have intertwined interests and share a common destiny, and both sides are at an important stage of national development and rejuvenation. China is willing to take the SCO Astana Summit as an opportunity to strengthen communication and coordination with Kazakhstan and other five Central Asian countries, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, actively advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization, and jointly inject new impetus into the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future.
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