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Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng Attends the Opening Ceremony of the First Think Tank Forum of "China+Central Asia"

2021-11-20 19:05

On November 19, 2021, the First Think Tank Forum of "China+Central Asia" (C+C5) was held in Beijing both online and offline. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent a congratulatory letter to the forum. Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng attended the opening ceremony of the forum, read Wang Yi's congratulatory letter and delivered a speech.

In his speech, Le Yucheng said that the congratulatory letter from State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi expounded on the significance of the forum, and clarified the development direction of the relations between China and Central Asian countries, which provides important guidance for future think tank exchanges between the two sides. As the world is facing profound changes unseen in a century and the COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging the world, safeguarding security and development remains a common agenda for all countries. Recently, the sudden change in the situation in Afghanistan has brought new challenges to the regional situation. Countries in the region, represented by Afghanistan's close neighbors, acted with urgency, spoke with one voice of helping Afghanistan stop chaos and restore stability, led the international community's positive efforts to stabilize and assist Afghanistan, and further anchored the goal and direction of ensuring a smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan.

Le Yucheng said, national security is a prerequisite for economic and social development. It is difficult to develop without peace or to achieve prosperity without stability. Since achieving independence 30 years ago, Central Asian countries have always taken safeguarding national security and stability as their top priority, and firmly upheld their sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. With 30 years' hard work, Central Asian countries have found a development path suited to their national conditions, seeing stable and improving political situation, continuously developed economy and society, improving democracy and the rule of law, and the peoples who are living a happier life. Central Asian countries have also strengthened regional cooperation, actively participated in international affairs and become an important force in safeguarding world peace and promoting global development. Afghanistan was once a shining pearl on the ancient Silk Road, where eastern and western civilizations met and intermingled. However, the war of the past two decades has left Afghanistan devastated, impoverished and weak, and inflicted untold sufferings and ineradicable scars on its people. The lesson of what happened in Afghanistan is profound and proves once again that military intervention, power politics and so-called "democratic transformation" are cul-de-sacs.

Le Yucheng said regional security is an important guarantee for the development and revitalization of all countries. As China and Central Asian countries live in the neighborhood of Afghanistan and share long borders of thousands of kilometers with the country, the situation in Afghanistan is closely related to regional security and stability. At present, Afghanistan is facing a severe humanitarian crisis and the risk of refugee flows. As a neighbor, China has been active in providing necessary emergency aid and anti-pandemic support to Afghanistan. China is stepping up efforts to implement emergency humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan worth 200 million yuan. The freight train loading with the second batch of wintering materials and people's livelihood and medical supplies set off, and the "air corridor of pine nuts" has been successfully opened. Central Asian countries have also played a constructive role on the Afghan issue, coordinating their positions on the situation in Afghanistan in a timely manner and providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. China and Central Asian countries share a high degree of common concern on the Afghan issue. We both hope to see an open and inclusive political architecture in Afghanistan, an Afghanistan of peace, stability, economic development, ethnic harmony and good-neighborliness, and sustained stability, tranquility and harmony in the region. It is in the common interests of the countries in the region to maintain lasting peace. Only by working together to foster a sound external environment can we concentrate on achieving common development.

Le Yucheng said that building a China-Central Asia community with a shared future is a win-win choice that meets the needs of all parties. Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Central Asian countries. Over the past 30 years, China and Central Asian countries have maintained candid exchanges and mutual assistance, setting a good example of friendly state-to-state exchanges. The two sides have a solid foundation of political mutual trust, firmly supported each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and spoken up for justice for each other in international and regional affairs. The ties of interest between China and Central Asian countries have become stronger, trade and investment cooperation has deepened, and Belt and Road cooperation has grown against the headwinds. The pandemic unseen in a century has not stopped the cooperation between China and Central Asian countries, but fully demonstrated the resilience of the relations between China and Central Asian countries. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out at the second C+C5 Foreign Ministers' Meeting that, at this new historical starting point, we should jointly build a belt of mutually beneficial cooperation and development to forge a community with a shared future for China and Central Asia. "United we stand, divided we fall." Against the complex and evolving situation in Afghanistan, we need to strengthen cooperation, jointly seek stability and promote development. China is ready to work with its Central Asian partners to deepen regional law enforcement and security cooperation, jointly build a united front against terrorism, and help Afghanistan maintain stability, improve people's livelihood, and integrate the country into regional cooperation, so as to turn the region into a common zone of stability and an island of security.

Le Yucheng said the forum is a specific measure to implement the outcomes of the first C+C5 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which marks the formal establishment of the first multilateral think tank exchange mechanism between China and Central Asian countries. He believes that the success of the forum will further deepen the cooperation between think tanks of China and Central Asian countries, promote the formation of synergy between experts and scholars from different countries, and provide a steady stream of intellectual support for strengthening cooperation between China and the countries in the region. Le Yucheng hopes that all parties will work together to expand the influence of the forum, make it more institutionalized, and build a new platform for think tank exchanges and cooperation among countries in the region.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's congratulatory letter aroused warm responses. Representatives of all parties who attended the forum spoke highly of China as a responsible major country that plays a constructive role in regional and international affairs. The representatives fully recognized the fruitful outcomes of the cooperation between China and Central Asian countries in various fields, especially the Belt and Road cooperation in the past three decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations, saying the C+C5 Foreign Ministers' Meeting mechanism plays an important role in safeguarding regional security and development. The representatives expressed their willingness to continue to play the unique role of think tanks and contribute wisdom and strength to the cooperation of countries in the region. All parties responded positively to Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng's speech, and believe that China's proposal to build a China-Central Asia community with a shared future is of practical significance. The parties also had in-depth discussions on coping with risks and challenges brought about by the evolving situation in Afghanistan, promoting peaceful reconstruction in Afghanistan and strengthening cooperation between China and Central Asian countries.

The forum was co-hosted by the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and well-known think tanks from five Central Asian countries.

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