On December 21, 2011, Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping met with a joint press delegation from Central Asian countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Cheng said that China and the five Central Asian countries are close neighbors and their traditional friendship has a long history. They will jointly celebrate the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year. Over the past 20 years, the relations between China and Central Asian countries have always maintained a sound growth momentum, with deepening political mutual trust and improving cooperation mechanisms. China and Central Asian countries have conducted fruitful cooperation in all areas and continuously enhanced coordination and cooperation on international issues. Cheng hoped that the journalists would gain a more comprehensive understanding of China through the visit and make contribution to promoting friendly cooperation between China and Central Asian countries.

The journalists said during the visit, they witnessed remarkable achievements in China's development and construction and deepened their understanding of China's national conditions as well as China's Central Asia policy. They pledged to accurately introduce what they have seen and heard in China to their people.