Panel: The Central Asia region and its rising geo-strategic importance

The inaugural China-Central Asia summit has just been held in China's ancient city of Xi'an. Leaders from China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan all attended the summit to discuss ways of leveling up partnership among the six nations.

At the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping laid out his vision for a stable, prosperous, harmonious and interconnected Central Asia.

How should we understand the strategic significance of Central Asia amid moves by global powers like the U.S., Japan to set up "Central Asia 5+1" mechanisms? What do Central Asian countries look for when working with global powers?

Host Liu Kun is joined by Professor Doug Guthrie, Director of China Initiatives at Thunderbird School of Global Management; Naseem khan Achakzai, Advisor to Speaker Balochistan Assembly (Parliament) from Pakistan; Rong Ying, Vice President and Senior Research Fellow, at the China Institute of International Studies.