Press Release
China-Central Asia Summit: Steps in China's Economic Expansion
(Translated)

On May 18, the first "Central Asia-China" Summit was held in the Chinese city of Xi'an. It was attended by the leaders of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. At this summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced huge strategic development plans for Central Asia, from building infrastructure to expanding trade. In particular, he said, to promote cooperation and development in Central Asia, China will allocate 26 billion yuan (3.8 billion dollars) in financial aid and grants to these countries.

This summit can be called the Chinese 5 + 1 in shape. As for Uzbekistan, President Mirziyoyev, during his official visit, adopted a comprehensive program for developing a strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and China for the period 2023-2027. Within the framework of this program, dozens of documents were signed between the two sides related to mutual trade, customs, education, energy, agriculture, transportation and other fields. Also, within the framework of joint commercial activities, there were agreements regarding the implementation of new high-tech industrial, commercial and investment projects in the fields of energy, chemistry, metallurgy, geology, automobiles, electrical engineering, construction and other industries (fields) with a total value of more than $25 billion. It was also noted that the size of Chinese investments in Uzbekistan since 2017 amounted to $11 billion.

The heads of state of Central Asia take billions of dirty money promised by China without thinking about the consequences and then are forced to implement most of its demands. And when it comes to repaying debts, they go so far as to give up not only natural resources but even the land itself. For example, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon gave China 1,158 square kilometers of land in the mountainous Badakhshan, which is rich in natural resources, to China to give up most of the debts! Kyrgyzstan, unable to pay its debts to China, was also forced to abandon the strategically important Uzungu-Kush Strait and is about to lose part of its large mines and factories, and this is only the beginning.Can a sane person with political awareness and loyalty to his people establish relations with such an insatiable dragon and open the doors of the country to him?! Of course not. Only leaders who put the preservation of their thrones above the fate of their people and their countries can do this despicable act. In addition, the whole world is witnessing China's brutal suppression of the Uyghur Muslims, yet the leaders of Muslim-majority Central Asia, including Mirziyoyev, seek to strengthen various partnerships with China. They are pinning their hopes on China's dirty money by shaking hands with Xi Jinping and his atheist government whose hands are stained with the blood of Muslim Uyghurs, gagging their mouths and flattering them even by humiliating themselves. Uzbekistan is also waiting for China's help in solving its growing economic problems and reducing popular discontent. Expectıng this from a country like China whose foreign policy is based solely on economic colonialism is nothing but a huge political and economic stumbling block. Isn't it enough just to look at China's cunning debt policy towards our neighbors in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to be convinced of that?! Who can guarantee that what happened to them will not happen to us? No one! Yet the Mirziyoyev regime learns no lesson from this!

Accordingly, we say that it is wrong to establish any relationship with China, the sworn enemy of Islam and Muslims. To hope for good from the enemy is suicide. Allah Almighty says:

[الَّذِينَ يَتَّخِذُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَيَبْتَغُونَ عِندَهُمُ الْعِزَّةَ فَإِنَّ الْعِزَّةَ للهِ جَمِيعاً]

who choose disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek honour and power through that company? Surely all honour and power belongs to Allah.” [An-Nisa 4:139].

O Dear Muslims: There is no way out for you from this humiliation and backwardness except by returning to Islam by establishing our state that takes care of our affairs on the basis of Islamic rulings, while other methods will not create us a bright and blissful life.

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Uzbekistan