President Xi Jinping first proposed his Belt and Road Initiative in 2013. (Photo : Getty Images)
Eyeing to foster the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit countries in Central Asia and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), from June 17 to 24, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
From June 17 to 22, he will pay state visits to Uzbekistan, Poland and Serbia.
The Chinese leader will also attend the 16th meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) Council of Heads of State on June 23 and 24. The meeting, which coincides with the 15th anniversary of SCO's establishment, is seen as an avenue to enhance regional and global cooperation among the organization's members.
Under the SCO framework, the nations regard combating the "three evil forces"--terrorism, separatism and extremism--as their most urgent task.
A political analyst also stated that in the upcoming SCO summit, "many countries hope China can work to bring them out of difficulties."
"China is an important driving force for the SCO development as well as a major engine of the world economy," the analyst added.
Xi's trip to CEE comes three months after his last visit to the region. The Chinese president is expected to mainly tackle the implementation of his landmark Belt and Road initiative.
"The three countries were among the first to respond to China's Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Xi during his 2013 trips to Central Asia and Southeast Asia," the Global Times said.
Liu Zuoki, affiliated with the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that enhancing diplomatic ties with Poland and Serbia will "play an exemplary and positive role in propelling China-CEE relations."
Serbia was the first CEE nation to have a strategic cooperation with China back in 2009. In Sept. 2015, Serbian leader Tomislav Nikolic attended China's historic 70th anniversary of the World Anti-Fascist War victory.
Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Manchang noted that the increased political mutual trust has helped pave way to further boost bilateral ties.
Meanwhile, it was in 2011 when Poland "elevated [its] bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership" with new China, making it one of the first countries to do so.
Since then, China remains Poland's biggest Asian trading partner as well as its third-biggest importer. Poland is also China's largest trading partner in CEE.
Uzbekistan has also witnessed a rapid growth in its ties with China since it established a strategic partnership with the country in 2012.
On the scheduled trips, President Xi will "meet heads of state and attend signing ceremonies for cooperation agreements in such fields as energy, finance, infrastructure construction, technology and tourism."
