President Xi Jinping will host the leaders of five Central Asian countries in the city of Xi'an this week for a summit Beijing has described as of "milestone significance".

Xinhua news agency said the event on Thursday and Friday – to be attended by the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – is set to provide great impetus for relations and cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries.

Central Asia has become key to the nation’s Belt and Road Initiative, and the summit is likely to see efforts to push ahead with vast transport links and pipelines.

These include a long-stalled US$6 billion China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and an expansion of the Central Asia-to-China gas pipeline. (Xinhua/AFP)