Chinese media reports say the 2nd China-Central Asia Summit represents a historic first - the first time the gathering was held in a Central Asian country.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun says the summit opens up new space for Belt and Road (BRI) cooperation and to build an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports that China wrapped up its latest engagement effort in Central Asia on Tuesday with a 1.5 billion (US$209 million) yuan pledge towards livelihood and development projects in the region.

The six participating countries in the second China-Central Asia Summit also signed a landmark permanent friendship pact.

Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly hailed the signing of the Treaty of Permanent Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation as a milestone in relations among the six nations, saying it represented “an innovative endeavor in China’s neighborhood diplomacy – a contribution for our time that benefits generations to come”.

China has similar treaties with Russia and Pakistan.

The Tajik president’s official website says the summit, which was attended by the heads of all Central Asian states and China, addressed the most important issues related to the expansion of cooperation.

China’s Mission to the United States writes that since the first China-Central Asia Summit was successfully held in Xi’an in May 2023, relations between China and Central Asia’s nations have entered a new era, with their deepened cooperation injecting new impetus into regional development and bringing tangible benefit to the people of the countries.

At the end of the summit, the Cooperation Center in the "Central Asia - China" format was opened remotely, according to the Tajik president’s official website.  

Meanwhile, Reuters reports that since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Beijing has been stepping up efforts to boost economic links with Central Asian nations traditionally within Russia's sphere of influence, drawn by their strategic location and energy resources.