While compromising the settlement of the border issue, China and Central Asian countries have also made progress in strengthening military trust and border security. In February 1995, China has made a promise that would not use nuclear weapons against Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries. In April 1996, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia signed “Agreement on Strengthening Military Trust in Border Areas”. In April 1997, the above-mentioned countries signed the “Agreement on Mutual Reduction of Armed Forces in Border Areas”. Mutual disarmament in the border areas and strengthening military mutual trust in the border areas have greatly improved the security relationship between China and Central Asian countries, making the oncedefunct borders a boundary for cooperation. 

Secondly, good-neighborly and friendly relations with Central Asian countries should be developed and the level of strategic partnership relations should be improved. In June 2002, China and Kyrgyzstan signed the “Good-Neighborly Friendship and Cooperation Treaty”. In December, China and Kazakhstan signed the “Good-Neighborly Friendship and Cooperation Treaty”, Cooperation Agreement on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism” and so on. In May 2005, China and Uzbekistan signed a “Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation Partners”. In January 2007, China and Tajikistan signed the “Good-Neighborly Friendship and Cooperation Treaty”. These four important treaties have set down the sincere wish of China, Central Asian countries and the people of Central Asian countries for friendship from generation to generation in the form of law. It will become a programmatic document for the development of friendly relations between China and Central Asian countries in the new century. The signing of the treaty marks the promotion of bilateral relations to a higher and more quality level. 

In 2005, China-Kazakhstan relations rose from a friendly and cooperative partnership to a strategic partner. In 2011, it was upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership. In 2013, it entered into a “new phase” of comprehensive strategic partnership. In 2012, the two countries established the “Prime Minister Regular Meeting Mechanism”, forming an official cooperation platform led by “Prime Minister’s Annual Meeting + China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee + 10 Sub-Committees”. The sub-committees are economic and trade, transportation, railway, port and customs, science and technology, finance, energy, geology and mineral resources, humanities and security. 

China and Uzbekistan formally established a friendly cooperative partnership in 2005, and in 2012, they upgraded to strategic partners. In June 2016, it was upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership again. The two countries established the Deputy Prime Minister’s Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee in 2011. There are 7 subcommittees, including economy, trade, transportation, science and technology, energy, humanities, security and agriculture, forming a cooperation platform led by the “intergovernmental cooperation committee + sub-committee”, and maintaining frequent contacts and cooperation in various fields of concern to the two countries. 

China and Tajikistan established a strategic partnership and upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partner on August 31, 2017. In 2001, the two countries established the mechanism of intergovernmental economic and trade cooperation committee, which was led by the commercial departments of the two countries. The main tasks were to supervise the implementation of the agreement, propose cooperation proposals, and resolve related issues. The date of the meeting of the committee is not fixed and will be negotiated as needed. The 9th meeting was held in Beijing in August 2017. In 2009, the two countries established the “China Xinjiang-Tajikistan Economic and Trade Cooperation Sub-Committee” under the framework of the Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee, and held a meeting every two years. 

China and Kyrgyzstan established a strategic partnership in 2013. As early as 1994, the two countries established a ministerial-level intergovernmental economic and trade cooperation committee mechanism, led by the business departments of the two countries. The main tasks are to supervise the implementation of the agreement, propose cooperation proposals, and resolve related issues. However, the date of the committee meeting is not fixed and will be negotiated as needed. 

China and Turkmenistan established a strategic partnership in 2013. The two countries established a ministerial intergovernmental economic and trade cooperation committee mechanism in 1998, led by the heads of the business departments of the two countries. With the deepening of cooperation in oil and gas and other fields, the two countries established the Deputy Prime Minister-level Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee in 2010. The meeting is held every two years and consists of four sub-committees: economy, trade, humanities, security and energy.

The third is to actively develop mutually beneficial and win-win economic cooperation with Central Asian countries. In the past 30 years, the trade volume between China and Central Asian countries has increased nearly 100 times. In