On October 19th, US Secretary of State Rubio arrived in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to participate in the C5+1 ministerial meeting. According to reports, this meeting brought together representatives from the United States, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to discuss proposals for deepening cooperation in the fields of minerals, transportation, and technology.
On that day, Rubio stated that the United States hopes to compete for business opportunities in Central Asia, but will not demand that countries stop cooperating with China.
At the press conference, a reporter asked what the United States could offer as China expands its presence in Central Asia.
"My meaning is, look, this is competition, right?" Rubio answered, "We have products, we have a company; they manufacture things. We only want fair competition and opportunities."
Lu Biao stated: “This is not here to discuss 'stopping and having no dialogue with others or stopping cooperation with other countries.' "
He told reporters that nearly 300 American companies accompanied him, and they have the opportunity to sign agreements worth billions of dollars. He mentioned that some companies have already reached agreements, which will be announced later, but he did not mention specific companies during his speech.
He said: "We just want to determine the possibility of cooperation. We came here for this reason. This is not targeting any negative actions from any other country."
On the 19th, Rubio attended the C5+1 ministerial meeting. Rubio's social media updates.
Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported that Central Asia's mineral resources, including manganese, titanium, and cobalt used in advanced manufacturing, make the region a focus of competition. Washington seeks diversified supply chains, while China pursues deeper economic ties.
Before Rubio's arrival, the United States had already sent a signal of commercial ambition to Central Asian countries. Last week, US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South Asia and Central Asia Sergio Guerrero stated that American companies hope to compete for opportunities in the mineral sector of the region.
According to the US State Department, on the 19th, the C5+1 group proposed in a joint statement to expand mineral mining and processing, improve transportation links, and develop regional supply chains. They also committed to cooperating in geological data and promoting the production of high-value products in Central Asia.
The statement emphasizes that further development of cross-Baltic trade routes, improvement of customs procedures, and regional industrial cooperation will be pursued as ways to expand trade and investment with the United States. It calls for digital cooperation using “secure and trustworthy technologies,” and expanding opportunities for Central Asian companies to invest and operate in the U.S. market.
It is worth noting that most of the content of the statement outlines a vision, rather than specific projects. The statement does not mention China specifically, nor does it list the total amount of funds, specific mineral projects, or the timeline for implementation.
