ETGE condemns China Central Asia Summit in a statement

Chengdu: In a statement, the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) strongly denounced the recent summit between China and the Central Asian nations of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The ETGE accused China of trying to establish dominance over the region.

ETGE asserts that the agreements reached at the summit, which was the Fifth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, are part of a larger Chinese policy to weaken the sovereignty of Central Asian countries. The summit was presented as a diplomatic attempt to promote regional cooperation and security.

ETGE linked China’s activities to a warning from the 8th-century Turkic chieftain Bilge Kagan in a statement posted on X.

“The Chinese use sweet words, gold, and silk to draw distant nations close, and once they have become close, they seek to destroy them.” The most obvious illustration of this warning is occupied East Turkistan. Under Chinese domination, millions of Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and other Turkic peoples suffer from erasure, slavery, and genocide.

Foreign ministers from China and the five Central Asian countries met in a high-level diplomatic gathering to talk about shared interests, regional cooperation, and more general global challenges. As part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China is working to deepen its relationship with Central Asia, an area of strategic significance. But according to ETGE and other detractors, the conference is more about advancing China’s geopolitical goals in Central Asia than it is about fostering collaboration.

ETGE urged the people and authorities of Central Asia to defend their countries’ sovereignty against what it dubbed “Chinese imperialism.” Drawing parallels to the present conflict in East Turkistan, the organization cautioned that allying with China would jeopardize the independence and destiny of the Central Asian republics. “Restoring East Turkistan’s independence is not just a moral imperative but the key to eternally safeguarding Central Asia’s sovereignty,” said ETGE.

According to some analysts, the conference has sparked worries among nations with closer links to the West or Russia, who see China’s expanding influence in Central Asia as a threat to their regional interests. Although the talks’ stated goal is to increase collaboration, these events raise the possibility that Beijing will have a greater say in the geopolitical direction of Central Asia.

With numerous Central Asian countries juggling their ties with China, Russia, and Western powers, the East Turkistan Government in Exile’s call to action comes at a time when tensions are running high in the area. The ETGE’s warning highlights the precarious geopolitical situation in which these nations find themselves as they attempt to preserve their independence and sovereignty while navigating challenges from superpowers.