China on Friday defended the Kazakhstan government amid its harsh crackdown on protesters and offered it support, with President Xi Jinping sending a message to Kazakhstan’s embattled President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Mr. Xi, in what official media described as a “verbal message”, praised Mr. Tokayev for “taking decisive and effective actions at a critical moment” and “quickly calming the situation”.
Mr. Tokayev said on Friday he had instructed security forces to fire upon protesters without warning.
The Chinese leader said he had “shown the sense of responsibility as a statesman, and demonstrated a highly responsible attitude to the country and the people” and added that China was “ready to provide necessary support to help it overcome the difficulties” He said China “firmly opposes any force undermining Kazakhstan’s stability” and “strongly rejects any attempt by external forces to provoke unrest and instigate ‘colour revolutions’ in Kazakhstan,” the official Xinhua news agency said.
China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing was “willing to do its best to provide necessary support”. “As a fraternal neighbour and a permanent comprehensive strategic partner, China is willing to provide necessary support to Kazakhstan to help it tide over difficulties,” spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, adding that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) security grouping, which counts as its members China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan, regarded as its “consistent purpose” the “maintaining of security and stability of the member states and the region.”
The SCO’s members, he added, were “willing to promote the SCO playing an active role in this regard.”
