Uncategorized
To build even closer relations between China, Central Asian countries
By Guo Jiping, People’s Daily
Chinese President Xi Jinping will chair the China-Central Asia Summit in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi province on May 18 and 19.
The event is the first summit held offline by the heads of state of China and Central Asian countries since establishing diplomatic ties 31 years ago. The summit will mark a significant milestone in the development of relations between China and Central Asian countries.
This summit marks the official establishment of the heads of state meeting mechanism of China+Central Asia (C+C5). It will exert important and profound impacts on the relations between China and Central Asian countries, the revitalization of the six countries and regional peace and stability.
Under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, the political mutual trust and comprehensive cooperation between China and Central Asian countries have reached an unprecedented height. China has established comprehensive strategic partnerships and signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with all the five Central Asian countries. Together, they have blazed a new trail of good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation, and set a good example of fostering a new type of international relations.
China is ready to assist Central Asia to build itself into a bridge linking Western and Eastern civilizations, and to work with the region to jointly pursue national development and rejuvenation.
Since the two sides established diplomatic ties, China has always treated Central Asian countries as equals at the political level, fully understood their legitimate concerns and practically accommodated their demands, winning respect from these countries.
China and Central Asian countries enjoy strong momentum in economic and trade cooperation. Trade between the two sides has a strong complementarity and has maintained long-term stable growth.
In 2022, China-Central Asia trade reached a record high of $70.2 billion, which effectively reinforced the resilience of regional industrial and supply chains.
China is willing to share with Central Asian countries its vast market, complete industrial system and advanced technologies. The two sides have been committed to optimizing trade structures and will work together to promote high-quality economic development of the region.
China and Central Asian countries have made historic and groundbreaking landmark achievements in their cooperation.
The Central Asian region is China’s first neighboring cluster of strategic partners. China is the largest trading partner of Central Asia. Central Asia is where the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was initiated and the first stop of the Belt and Road to the West. The China-Central Asia gas pipeline is the world’s longest of its type.
These remarkable achievements come from the key to the successful cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries, which lies in their abiding commitment to mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times, and mutual benefit.
Central Asia is a demonstration zone of BRI achievements. The Qamchiq Tunnel of the Angren-Pap railway line in Uzbekistan has completely changed the way of transport for millions of people. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway is like an artery of international transport that crosses mountains. Chinese and Central Asian railway systems were a vital contributor to international cooperation amid COVID-19.
Today, there are more and more bridges for China-Central Asia cultural and people-to-people exchanges. The two sides have forged 62 pairs of sister provinces, regions and cities, and are seeing hundreds of thousands of people traveling between them each year. Thirteen Confucius Institutes have been set up in Central Asia and the first Luban Workshop in Central Asia has been inaugurated in Tajikistan. Many renowned Chinese universities have research centers of studies on Central Asian countries and offer majors of Central Asian languages.
China and Central Asian countries share broad common interests and similar positions on many international and regional issues. The two sides have constantly enhanced cooperation in international and regional organizations such as the UN, the WTO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to safeguard common security and development interests, making contributions to improving global and regional governance.
The building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future is a common aspiration of the people in both China and Central Asian countries, and will enjoy broad space for development.
China and Central Asian countries will build on the good momentum and strive shoulder-by-shoulder, to make contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind and to promoting world peace and development.
By Fabian Apechihin
The 2026 Constitution Amendment Bill has moved to the state level following its consideration by the National Assembly, paving the way for state legislatures to consider the proposed amendments.
The development comes amid renewed attention on constitutional reform and ongoing discussions over proposed changes to Nigeria’s governing framework.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has defended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over allegations surrounding borrowing by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
House spokesperson Akin Rotimi Agbese, speaking in an interview with Channels Television, rejected claims that Wike had undertaken borrowing without the knowledge or approval of the National Assembly.
Agbese said the FCT minister could not independently create a sovereign borrowing obligation, stressing that public borrowing is subject to constitutional, statutory and administrative procedures.
“Wike has committed no infraction in borrowings. There is no basis for the allegation that he has been borrowing money behind the back of the National Assembly,” Agbese said.
He explained that borrowing to finance infrastructure was not unlawful where the required approvals and procedures had been followed.
“Borrowing for infrastructure development is not unlawful in itself, provided the prescribed approvals and procedures are followed,” he added.
The House spokesperson further argued that an increase in the FCT’s debt profile should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of illegal borrowing, citing the scale of infrastructure projects being undertaken in Abuja under Wike.
According to Agbese, the key issue is whether the appropriate approvals were obtained for specific borrowing transactions, rather than simply whether the FCT’s overall debt profile has increased.
The comments come as scrutiny continues over public borrowing, infrastructure financing and the legal procedures governing government debt at both the federal and sub-national levels.
By Fabian Apechihin
The 2026 Constitution Amendment Bill has moved to the state level following its consideration by the National Assembly, paving the way for state legislatures to consider the proposed amendments.
The development comes amid renewed attention on constitutional reform and ongoing discussions over proposed changes to Nigeria’s governing framework.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has defended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over allegations surrounding borrowing by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
House spokesperson Akin Rotimi Agbese, speaking in an interview with Channels Television, rejected claims that Wike had undertaken borrowing without the knowledge or approval of the National Assembly.
Agbese said the FCT minister could not independently create a sovereign borrowing obligation, stressing that public borrowing is subject to constitutional, statutory and administrative procedures.
“Wike has committed no infraction in borrowings. There is no basis for the allegation that he has been borrowing money behind the back of the National Assembly,” Agbese said.
He explained that borrowing to finance infrastructure was not unlawful where the required approvals and procedures had been followed.
“Borrowing for infrastructure development is not unlawful in itself, provided the prescribed approvals and procedures are followed,” he added.
The House spokesperson further argued that an increase in the FCT’s debt profile should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of illegal borrowing, citing the scale of infrastructure projects being undertaken in Abuja under Wike.
According to Agbese, the key issue is whether the appropriate approvals were obtained for specific borrowing transactions, rather than simply whether the FCT’s overall debt profile has increased.
The comments come as scrutiny continues over public borrowing, infrastructure financing and the legal procedures governing government debt at both the federal and sub-national levels.
By Fabian Apechihin
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed its intention to contest the 2027 presidential election despite the decision of Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The party said Wike’s decision was personal and did not alter its position to participate in the presidential election with its candidate, Senator Sandy Onor. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, made the clarification on Wednesday.
According to the party, a recent conversation between Wike and Onor should not be interpreted as a political negotiation between the minister and the PDP.
“He told Nigerians that Sandy is his friend. And they only had a friendly discussion within the umbrella of friendship. So, that is just a personal discussion between him and his friend,” Mohammed said.
He added that Wike’s support for Tinubu did not prevent the PDP from fielding candidates for the presidential, governorship and legislative elections.
Wike had earlier clarified that his support in 2027 was specifically for Tinubu’s presidential re-election and did not amount to an agreement that the PDP would withdraw from other electoral contests. He also said he never promised that the PDP would abandon its candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.
“I said I will support the President from day one. I never told Mr President I will join APC,” Wike said.
The minister also maintained that his proposed Rainbow Coalition was not an arrangement with the All Progressives Congress (APC), but rather a platform through which politicians from different parties could mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election.
The issue has generated disagreement with some APC governors, who have expressed concern about a political arrangement that could affect the party’s candidates at other levels.
APC Progressive Governors’ Forum Chairman, Hope Uzodinma, said the governors would not support any alliance or arrangement that could weaken the APC or adversely affect its candidates.
Meanwhile, APC presidential campaign council spokesperson Ima Niboro has urged Wike and APC governors to end their public exchanges and concentrate on political mobilisation.
“When I said tone down the rhetoric, I do not mean stop working. Stop talking, go and work,” Niboro said.
He urged political leaders to strengthen their grassroots structures and engage directly with voters rather than continue exchanging statements in the media.
“All this shouting is not taking anybody anywhere. Go and work. Go and establish your authority on your political base,” he said.
2026 Constitution Amendment Bill Moves to States
2026 Constitution Amendment Bill Moves to States
2027: PDP Insists on Presidential Contest Despite Wike’s Support for Tinubu
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