Uzbek president wins support in China
ISN SECURITY WATCH (26/05/05) - Uzbek President Islam Karimov's two day visit to China opened with the signing of a US$600 million oil deal with Beijing on Wednesday, as the two countries take steps to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties.
China offered its support to the Uzbek president following international pressure in the wake of his brutal crushing of demonstrations earlier this month in which rights groups estimate as many as 500 people were killed by security forces.
The oil deal, which will form a joint venture with China's National Petroleum Corp and Uzbekistan's state energy company, Uzbekneftegaz, is meant to establish a friendly cooperative partnership, signaling a new determination on both sides to further consolidate the traditional friendship, Chinese state media reported.
The two leaders signed 14 other agreements that are expected to pave the way for increased cooperation in trade, customs, high technology, and energy.
But more than anything, observers say, China's warm welcome for the Uzbek leader clearly illustrates Beijing's focus on strategic stability in the former Soviet Central Asian states, which China views as a powder keg of Islamic militancy that could threaten to explode on its own territory.
The Uzbek government has ignored criticism from the UN, the EU, and the US about its handling of the demonstrations, and Karimov has rejected calls for an international investigation into the incident.
But both China and Russia have supported Karimov's handling of the situation.
The day before Karimov's visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told a news conference that œwhat happened in Uzbekistan recently, it is basically a domestic affair, but we firmly support the crackdown on the three forces of separatism, terrorism, and extremism by the Uzbekistan government.
Dr. Nan Li, an expert on Chinese defense and security issues at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore, said no one should be surprised at Beijing's show of support for Karimov.
She said security, not respect for human rights, was China's priority, she told ISN Security Watch on Thursday.
(By Betta Plebani in Shanghai) www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?ID=11364