China-CELAC Forum ministerial meeting in Beijing.

China President Xi Jinping signed a treaty to elevate ties with Central Asian nations on Tuesday, as Beijing looks to further deepen cooperation on trade, energy and infrastructure with the resource-rich region.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Beijing has been stepping up efforts to boost economic links with Central Asian nations traditionally within Russia's sphere of influence, drawn by their strategic location and energy resources.

At a regional summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Tuesday, Xi, lauding a milestone, signed a treaty of "permanent good-neighbourliness and friendly cooperation" with leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.

The summit this week is the second such gathering, following the pomp-filled, inaugural gathering in northwest China in 2023. Both occasions have coincided with meetings of G7 leaders.

"At present, the world is undergoing accelerating changes unseen in a century, entering a new period of turbulence and transformation," Xinhua quoted Xi as saying in a speech at the summit.

"Trade wars and tariff wars produce no winners, and unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonism are bound to harm both others and oneself," he said, in a thinly veiled swipe at the United States that had engaged in escalating tariffs with Beijing.

"China is ready to work with Central Asian countries to safeguard international justice, oppose hegemonism and power politics," Xi said.

He also pledged 1.5 billion yuan ($208.86 million) in grant assistance to the Central Asian countries this year to support their livelihood and development projects, and called for more cooperation in areas including trade, minerals and agriculture.

Despite a trade truce with the U.S., Beijing has been keen to consolidate relations with its regional partners.

China's two-way trade with the five Central Asian countries reached a record 286.42 billion yuan in the first five months this year, a 10.4% year-on-year increase, Xinhua reported citing the Chinese Customs.

Turkmenistan, a major supplier of natural gas for China, is the only Central Asian nation with a trade surplus with China. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan's trade deficits with China run into the tens of billions.

ENERGY, MINERAL COOPERATIONS

In separate bilateral meetings with the regional leaders, Xi called for expanded cooperation in natural gas, minerals, international railway and law enforcement, according to summaries posted by the Chinese foreign ministry.

In meetings with the Uzbek and Kyrgyz presidents on Tuesday, he urged progress on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, an overland route bypassing Russia

The project has been discussed since the 1990s but gained new importance after the sanctions on Russia resulted in shippers between China and Europe avoiding sending goods via Russia.

The five former Soviet republics offer China alternative routes to secure fuel and food in the event of disruptions elsewhere.

In the long-term, the Central Asia route could potentially help cut freight transport times between China and Europe.

In a separate meeting with Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, Xi said "both sides should expand the scale of natural gas cooperation, explore cooperation in non-resource fields, and optimize trade structure."

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Xi says China 'deeply worried' about Israel-Iran conflict, urges de-escalation

China is "deeply worried" about Israel's military operation against Iran that has escalated tensions in the Middle East, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday, in his first public comments on the conflict that erupted last Friday.

Xi, speaking on the sidelines of a summit with five Central Asian nations in the Kazakh capital of Astana, said China opposes any actions that infringe upon the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of other countries.

"All parties should work to de-escalate the conflict as soon as possible and prevent the situation from worsening further," Xi said, in comments quoted by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

China is ready to play a constructive role in restoring peace and stability in the Middle East, he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Chinese foreign ministry said China had begun evacuating its citizens from Israel and Iran and was pushing for a ceasefire, as fighting continued for a fifth day.

Chinese authorities are in communication with Iran, Israel and various parties to promote a ceasefire, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing.

"China calls on all relevant parties, especially those countries that have a special influence on Israel, to shoulder their due responsibilities, take immediate measures to cool down the tense situation and prevent the conflict from escalating and spreading," Guo said, without naming any countries.

EVACUATIONS

On Tuesday, the Chinese embassy in Israel urged its citizens to return to China as soon as possible.

It said many had contacted the embassy asking about the resumption of airport operations and Hainan Airlines flights. However, Israeli airspace remains closed, and the Israeli government has extended a national state of emergency until June 30, the embassy said.

The notice listed several land crossing points but recommended Chinese citizens leave via Jordan.

"At present, the Israeli-Iranian conflict continues to escalate, with civilian facilities damaged and civilian casualties increasing, making the security situation even more severe," the embassy warned in a notice on WeChat.

The Chinese embassy in Iran issued a similar evacuation notice on its official WeChat account later on Tuesday.

Iran's airspace is still closed, and there are risks that Iran's land border crossings will also be closed in the near future, the embassy said.

The notice listed border points for people to enter Turkey, Armenia and Turkmenistan, with travel distances from Tehran ranging from 760 to 910 km (472 to 565 miles).

Tehran has asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press U.S. President Donald Trump to use his influence on Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire with Iran in return for Iranian flexibility in nuclear negotiations, sources have told Reuters.