China and Central Asian Security Chiefs Convene on Regional Law Enforcement

Chinese Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong chaired an informal ministerial meeting with Central Asian internal affairs counterparts in Beijing on September 7, according to state media reports. The gathering formalized the launch of a new China-Central Asia law enforcement training base and saw Chinese honors conferred upon the interior ministers of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. On the sidelines, bilateral talks yielded newly signed cooperation documents with Kazakhstan and an endorsement from Kyrgyzstan for a Beijing-proposed international alliance against telecommunications fraud.

The ministerial gathering marks a steady shift toward institutionalizing China's policing footprint across its western periphery. Beyond traditional multilateral counterterrorism, the focus on establishing a shared training base, securing Belt and Road logistics corridors, and pursuing cross-border telecommunications fraud reflects an operational deepening of regional security ties under Beijing's Global Security Initiative.

State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong chaired an informal session of the China-Central Asia Public Security and Internal Affairs Ministers' Meeting Mechanism in Beijing on September 7, state media reported. The meeting gathered high-level law enforcement delegations from all five Central Asian republics to consolidate regional security coordination. During his keynote address, Wang urged participating states to jointly counter the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism, and extremism, while deepening cooperation in transnational crime prevention, immigration control, and the protection of overseas personnel and assets. He specifically highlighted the security of major infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, presenting the ministerial platform as an instrument to ensure long-term regional stability, according to Xinhua and People's Daily. Central Asian delegation heads endorsed the cooperation framework, pledging to implement meeting outcomes and expand shared law enforcement efforts. The gathering featured a virtual unveiling ceremony for the China-Central Asia Law Enforcement Training Base, an initiative intended to standardize and expand technical training for regional police personnel. Wang also awarded the Chinese Ministry of Public Security's Gold Great Wall Commemorative Medal to Kazakh Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov and Uzbek Interior Minister Tashpulatov, recognizing their contributions to bilateral security relations. Alongside the multilateral plenary, Wang held bilateral discussions with counterparts from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Meeting with Kyrgyz Interior Minister Ulan Niyazbekov, Wang called for closer cooperation on political security and the maintenance of order at border checkpoints. Niyazbekov voiced explicit support for China's initiative to establish an international alliance targeting telecommunications and network fraud. In talks with Kazakhstan's Sadenov, discussions centered on strengthening legal safeguards for police cooperation, combating cross-border offenses, and building technical capacities. The two officials concluded their meeting by signing bilateral cooperation documents, formalizing ongoing coordination between their respective internal security organs.