Astana: Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Kazakhstan’s Astana to attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). CGTN reported that Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed President Xi Jinping at an airport in Astana.
According to Chinese state-run media, President Xi left Beijing on Tuesday for the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana and official visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan and President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan.
The nine-member SCO, which encompasses a vast stretch of the world from Russia to China, includes around half the world’s population. Its permanent members are this year’s host Kazakhstan, Pakistan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Iran.
This year, Belarus is likely to join after being told at 2023’s SCO summit, hosted virtually by India, that it would become a member.
China’s state media reported that Xi’s plane was escorted by two Kazakh fighter jets when it entered the central Asian country’s airspace.
Earlier, Chinese Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China believed the SCO summit would “help build more consensus among all sides and make contributions to promoting stability, security, and development of member nations”, and advance “lasting peace and common prosperity across the world”.
Xi will also hold “in depth” talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev “on bilateral ties, cooperation in major areas, and the regional and global landscape”, Mao stated.
President Xi will then head to Tajikistan for his second officials’ trip to China’s western neighbour, where he will discuss means with Tajikistan President to enhance China-Tajikistan relations”.
China has ramped up diplomatic efforts in Central Asia, with President Xi calling for a deepening of economic relations during a summit China hosted last May that was attended by leaders of several nations in the region. After the Astana meeting, Beijing will assume the SCO’s rotating presidency for the 2024-2025 period.
