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China, Turkmenistan vow to strengthen cooperation on energy and security
- At a meeting in Ashgabat, Chinese vice-premier says relations have taken a ‘significant leap’
- It comes as Beijing is trying to step up ties with its neighbours in resource-rich Central Asia
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China and Turkmenistan have pledged to expand strategic cooperation, including on energy and security, as Beijing looks to boost its influence in resource-rich Central Asia.
Speaking in Ashgabat on Wednesday, Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang said bilateral relations took a “significant leap” when Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov visited Beijing in January and ties were elevated to a “comprehensive strategic partnership”.
Ding told a meeting of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee that the countries had complementary strengths and mutual interests.
“China is a trusted friend and partner to Turkmenistan,” Ding said.
“Both sides should utilise their complementary strengths, explore the potential for cooperation, and continue to deepen and expand cooperation in key areas,” said Ding, a member of the ruling Communist Party’s powerful Politburo Standing Committee.
He said the two sides should focus on increasing economic, trade and investment cooperation, and continue to deepen cooperation on natural gas.
The vice-premier’s trip to Central Asia – a region where Russia has traditionally held sway – is part of China’s efforts to step up ties with its neighbours in the region. Beijing sees Central Asia as crucial to the country’s energy security as well as the social stability of its western borders, particularly in the Xinjiang region that neighbours Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It also comes as China is facing geopolitical pressure over Russia’s war in Ukraine and from the US-led alliance in the Indo-Pacific region.
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