The visit comprised a meeting with the management of the Industrial Park Development Company to discuss the Great Stone's current activity, the investment environment and market orientation of resident enterprises, and also plans to further develop the project.
Economic and trade cooperation between China and Central Asian countries is expected to usher in new breakthroughs. China has become increasingly close in economic and trade exchanges with Central Asia countries. In the first quarter of this year, the trade volume between the two countries increased by 22% year-on-year. China's direct investment in the five countries exceeded US$3 billion as of the end of March this year. China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline, China-Kazakhstan crude oil pipeline and other major projects have been successfully completed.
From 11 to 5 May, Chinese President Xi Jinping will preside over the China-Central Asia Summit in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. The heads of state of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan will be invited to attend the meeting. This is not only China's first major home diplomatic event this year, but also the first time that the heads of states of the six countries have held a summit in physical form. It will open a new chapter in the relations between China and Central Asian countries.
The Fourth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province on 28 July. The meeting was presided over by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang. It was attended by the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Promoting the quality and upgrading of cooperation in jointly building the "Belt and Road" has become the consensus of the meeting. The summit is a natural result of the high-level development of China's cooperation in Central Asia.