Xi Jinping meets Kazakh leader on first trip since pandemic

Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Kazakhstan on Wednesday on his first international trip since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He is scheduled to attend a leaders' summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Uzbekistan alongside Vladimir Putin. 

Xi was welcomed by Kazakh leader President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. 

What did they discuss? 

Tokayev's government said the two leaders would discuss energy markets and global economic turmoil. Kazakhstan is a major oil and gas producer, and China is one of its leading customers. 

"China is willing to work with Kazakhstan to deepen cooperation in law enforcement, security and defense," Xi wrote in an article for local Kazakh media that was later republished by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Beijing also wanted to work with Kazakhstan to combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, he went on to say.

Xi also mentioned the "three evils", defined as terrorism, separatism and religious extremism, and that China was seeking to help Kazakhstan to combat them. 

Xi promised to protect Kazakhstan's independence

Tokayev thanked Xi for the visit at a time of "unprecedented, after the end of the Cold War, escalation of international tensions." He also hailed China's support of "the economic development of Kazakhstan and our international initiatives."

The Chinese leader promised to resolutely support Kazakhstan "in protecting its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity." 

According to Xi, China will "categorically oppose the interference of any forces in the internal affairs" of Kazakhstan "no matter how the international situation changes."

After his visit to Kazakhstan, Xi flew to Samarkand in neighboring Uzbekistan for an SCO summit.

What's on the agenda at the SCO summit?  

India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Tajikistan are part of the eight-nation SCO that Putin and Xi spearhead and see as a counterbalance to US alliances in East Asia. Observers of the organization include Iran and Afghanistan.

Xi and Putin are scheduled to hold a one-on-one meeting to discuss Ukraine, as Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov stated. 

Xi has been promoting a "global security initiative" following Beijing's more assertive foreign policy and the formation of a quad by the US, Japan, Australia and India. 

It is unclear what this exactly entails. US officials are concerned that the initiative echoes arguments by Russia in support of the invasion of Ukraine. 

los/aw (AFP, AP, Reuters)