PRESS RELEASE

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Xi Jinping Launches a Week-Long Silk Road Tour

June 15, 2016 (EIRNS)—President Xi Jinping will be visiting countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Central Asia from June 17 to 24, including state visits to Serbia, Poland, and Uzbekistan from June 17 to 22, and attendance at the 16th meeting of the SCO in Tashkent on June 23 and 24.

Xinhua notes that Serbia was the first CEE country to establish a strategic partnership with China, in 2009, and sent soldiers to march in the Beijing celebration of the 70th anniversary of the victory in WOrld War II last September. Poland is China’s largest CEE trading partner, and the only CEE country to join the AIIB.

This is the 15th anniversary of the founding of the SCO. It is expected that they will approve Indian and Pakistani membership at the Tashkent Summit.

Xinhua writes:

"Xi’s trip is expected to focus on the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, given the relevance of the countries for the initiative, and importance of the SCO as a platform to dovetail China’s Silk Road Economic Belt Initiative with Russia’s aspiration under the Eurasian Economic Union framework."