Productive visits

During Xi's state visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, before the SCO summit, China signed nearly 30 bilateral cooperation documents with the two countries, covering a wide range of fields, such as finance, water conservancy, digital economy and green development.

State Councilor Wang said that Xi's state visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and the two host nations' great hospitality, "fully demonstrate the high level and uniqueness of China's relations with the two countries, as well as the close friendship and great mutual trust between President Xi and the two heads of state".

Wang noted that during the tour, China and the two neighbors reached wide-ranging consensus on the future direction and priorities of cooperation.

They agreed to continue to engage in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, speed up the alignment of development strategies and promote pragmatic cooperation in the fields of trade and economy, energy, railways and connectivity, he said.

"Also important to mention here is that almost nine years ago, in 2013, Kazakhstan was the place where the Belt and Road Initiative was officially announced," said Arhama Siddiqa, the Pakistani scholar.

Xu, the China Institute of International Studies president, said Kazakhstan is a key country taking part in jointly building the Belt and Road and a good neighbor geographically connected to China.

"The improved bilateral ties not only offer staunch support to the two countries' development and prosperity, but also inject dynamism into the region's peace and stability," he said.

Sabohat Hashimova, director of the China-Uzbekistan Scientific Research Center at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, said the BRI proposed by Xi plays an important role in the development of China-Uzbekistan relations.

"The significance of the BRI is that it benefits not only Uzbekistan or China, but all involved countries.

"The good cooperation between Uzbekistan and China in various areas will be a supplement and guarantee to the development of friendly ties between the two countries and the two peoples," she said.

Jan Yumul in Hong Kong, Yifan Xu in Washington and Ren Qi in Tashkent contributed to this story.