Xiplomacy: China-Central Asia cooperation: Palmy past, rosy future

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"The precious merchandise of many foreign countries is stored up here. The soil is rich and productive, and yields abundant harvests. The forest trees afford a thick vegetation, and flowers and fruits are plentiful."

The excerpt from "The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions" written by Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang in 646, a narrative of his 19-year journey through China and neighboring areas, vividly depicts a richly-endowed Samarkand, one of the most important transit points on the ancient Silk Road linking the East to the West.