Kyrgyzstan and China to closely cooperate on security issues

June 19, 2012 - 3:48pm

Kyrgyzstan President, Almazbek Atambayev, and deputy chief of the general staff of China's People's Liberation Army, Ma Xiaotian, discussed strengthening of security cooperation between two countries. Ma visited Bishkek following his attendance of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation anti-terror military exercises in Tajikistan.

Kyrgyzstan head of state said that his country is keen to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields including security. He stressed that Kyrgyzstan is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China within bilateral and multilateral frameworks to further strengthen pragmatic cooperation in various fields including defence and security.

“We have received evidence that China is a country which earnestly wants to see the stability and economic development of Kyrgyzstan,” Atambayev said and added his country was determined to develop relations with Beijing in all spheres. He expressed hopes that “the Chinese People's Liberation Army will expand cooperation with our [Kyrgyzstan's] army".

Atambayev pointed out that emphasis would be put on fight against terrorism, extremism and separatism. He said that China is a good neighbour, a good friend and a reliable partner and emphasised the great importance of Kyrgyzstan's ties with China, assuring Beijing that Kyrgyzstan would always adhere to the one-China policy and firmly oppose terrorism, extremism and separatism.

Ma stressed that over the past 20 years the two countries have deepened mutual political trust and added that a pragmatic cooperation in various fields has been fruitful. He added that the two countries have successfully conducted defence and security cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Main issue between Kyrgyzstan and China for years has been the question of Uyghur minority, which lives primarily in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. In recent years, Uyghurs had uprisings, demanding wider autonomy and secession, for which China started treating them as terrorists.

Uyghurs are historically, ethnically and religiously close to Kyrgyz and Kazakh people and there is a big Uyghur minority living in Kyrgyzstan.