The forum, themed around mutual trust, cooperation and harmonious development, focused on pragmatic, social and cultural cooperation between China and Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

It also saw the signing of a declaration on further promoting their cooperation.

Bai Lichen, vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top advisory body, attended the opening ceremony and met with representatives from the five Central Asian countries.

More than 200 people from diplomatic, economic, business, academic and local circles of China and Central Asian countries attended the event.