Putin, Xi meet at Central Asian summit in show of deepening cooperation

In their second meeting this year and in a show of deepening cooperation, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have met at a Central Asian summit in Kazakhstan.

Putin and Xi convened in the capital Astana for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Beijing-led regional bloc, on Wednesday, underscoring joint efforts to further boost alliance against Western influence in Central Asia.

Both leaders hailed the strengthening of Russia-China relations, describing them as at their peak in history.

Established in 2001 by Russia and China, the SCO is  a Eurasian political, economic, international security and defense organization that includes Central Asian nations, India, Pakistan and Iran. The nine-member bloc, whose summit is held on Wednesday and Thursday, is designed as a counterweight to US hegemony in global affairs.

In televised opening remarks ahead of a bilateral meeting, Putin emphasized the SCO’s role in advancing foreign policy agendas of both Russia and China, promoting it as a crucial pillar of a multipolar world order.

“Russian-Chinese relations, our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, are experiencing their best period in history,” the Russian president said.

Both leaders highlighted the deepened political, military, and economic ties between their countries since Russia began its “special military operation” in neighboring of Ukraine in February 2022.

Putin and Xi also criticized US-led “hegemony” on the world stage as Moscow and Beijing are trying to advance rival regional groups and alliances to push back against Western influence in Central Asia and the wider region.

Ahead of the gathering, China's foreign ministry said the annual meeting “make contributions to promoting security, stability and development of member countries”, and advance “lasting peace and common prosperity in the world.”

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Xi Jinping, for his part, stressed the importance of continuing bilateral relations amid challenging international conditions, affirming the enduring friendship between Moscow and Beijing.

“In the face of the turbulent international situation and external environment, the two sides should continue to uphold the original aspiration of friendship for generations to come,” Xi told Putin in brief opening remarks.

The five Central Asian countries -of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are ex-Soviet republics and have historic cultural, linguistic and economic ties to Russia.

Turkmenistan is not a member of the SCO, but the four other Central Asian states are.

The summit also addresses the competitive dynamics between Russia and China in Central Asia, where historical ties to Russia confront China’s expanding economic footprint through initiatives like the Belt and Road project.

Putin and Xi had inked a “no limits” strategic partnership just days before the Ukrainian conflict began in 2022.

The SCO is complemented by 14 “dialogue partners”, such as Turkey and several Persian Gulf states.

Putin also met his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the summit.

Belarus, a close ally of Russia, is set to formally join the SCO on Thursday. 

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