5th China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in southwest China

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday chaired the 5th China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu, Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Kulubaev Zheenbek Moldokanovich, Tajikistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, and Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov attended the meeting.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that since the establishment of the China-Central Asia mechanism four years ago, the six countries have worked together to foster its growth, demonstrating strong vitality and dynamism.

Last May, the first China-Central Asia Summit was successfully held in China's Xi'an, officially elevating the mechanism to the head-of-state level and marking a new chapter in China-Central Asia relations, he said.

Wang emphasized China's commitment to advancing comprehensive and sustainable cooperation with Central Asian countries and outlined five key areas of consensus reached by the six foreign ministers during the meeting.

First, the six countries agree to adhere to the guidance of their heads of state and to strengthen and enhance the China-Central Asia mechanism. Second, they agree to pursue the goal of modernization and to deepen all-round cooperation. Third, they commit to sharing weal and woe and to upholding regional peace and stability. Fourth, they emphasize everlasting friendship through generations. Fifth, they pledge to uphold multilateralism.

After the meeting, the six foreign ministers attended the departure ceremony for the Tianfu Cross-border Truck service from Chengdu to Central Asia.

5th China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in southwest China

5th China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in southwest China

Grain enterprises across China have purchased 120 million tons of autumn grains recently, according to data from the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration.

Provinces like Henan, Jiangsu, Heilongjiang, and Anhui have set up the minimum purchase price of middle- and late-season rice. Over 200 purchasing spots have been set up in these four provinces to facilitate grain farmers in selling their crops.

Currently the purchase of middle- and late-season indica rice in the southern region stands at around 40 to 50 percent, while in the northeast region, the purchase of japonica rice is around 20 percent. In the north and northeast China, purchase of corn stands at 20 percent to 30 percent, while that of soybeans is around 15 percent in northeastern region.

The average price of middle- and late-season rice is about 2.6 yuan per kilogram. With demand rising for animal feed, prices of corn and soybean are gradually recovering and stabilizing, boosting acquisition interest.

"Currently, the cumulative procurement of middle- and late-season rice at the minimum purchase price has exceeded 1.8 million tons, effectively stabilizing market expectations and ensuring reasonable grain prices," said Luo Shouquan, director of the grain reserve department of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration.

Autumn grain purchases across China total 120 million tons