Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with guests in front of Ziyun Tower in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, May 18, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

XI'AN — Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders of five Central Asian countries announced on Friday a decision to officially inaugurate the China-Central Asia Summit Mechanism.

The two sides -- China and Central Asian countries -- will take turns to host the biennial summit.

The announcement was made in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi province, where the first China-Central Asia Summit was held on Thursday and Friday.

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The next summit will be held in Kazakhstan in 2025.

The presidents agreed to establish a permanent secretariat of the mechanism in China.

The six countries agreed to promote in-depth cooperation across the board, with priorities given to transport, economy and trade, investment and industry, agriculture, energy, customs, and people-to-people exchanges.