A security summit between China, Russia and their Central Asian neighbors wrapped up in Beijing yesterday with vague promises to deepen economic cooperation but no public mention of regional flashpoints like Afghanistan.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶), speaking live on state TV after the signing of a series of agreements, also made no mention of a June offer by Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) for US$10 billion of credit support to Central Asia to help fight the financial crisis.
“I believe that if all member states work hand in hand and deepen cooperation we will certainly be able to create a glorious future of peace and prosperity for the region,” Wen said after the closed door discussions.
Russia and China are core members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) which some experts say is an attempt to form an alternative military bloc to NATO to counter the rising threats of separatism and extremism in Central Asia.
The SCO’s members also include the former Soviet Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — but their gatherings have rarely led to anything more concrete than showpiece photos and non-binding pledges of support.
Wen said participants drafted measures “to strengthen multilateral economic cooperation, handle the global financial crisis and ensure economic development.”
He made no public mention of looming regional security issues like Iran’s nuclear program, which has sparked a face-off with the West, or instability and violence in Afghanistan, with which China and several central Asian countries share borders.
Afghanistan’s Taliban urged SCO members, in a letter posted on the Taliban Web site, to help the radical Islamic movement “liberate” the country from US troops.
It called on summit participants “to render assistance ... [for] the liberation of the people [Afghans] and countries of the region from the claws of the colonialists and take a decisive stand regarding the West’s invasion of Afghanistan.”
China and Russia are the overwhelmingly dominant members of the SCO. Russia regards Central Asia as its historic sphere of influence, while Chinese economic sway there has been growing.
This summit was overshadowed by talks a day earlier between China and Russia, with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin overseeing a tentative gas supply agreement and deals worth US$3.5 billion.
In June, Hu offered a US$10 billion credit line to Central Asian states, but no details have been released and it remains unclear whether any funds have been disbursed.
Also in Beijing, participating as observers, were Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi and ministers from India, Mongolia and Afghanistan.
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