Beijing, 25 January 2024 (TDI): On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met in Beijing and agreed to establish an all-weather partnership for a new era. The two leaders envision the China-Uzbekistan relations with a shared future from a higher starting point.
Mirziyoyev is in China for a state visit. Xi welcomed him and recalled the history of bilateral relations.
He said that Uzbekistan was the first Central Asian country to forge diplomatic ties with China 32 years ago.
Since then, the two peoples have inherited the spirit of the Silk Road and cultivated a deep and dynamic friendship.
Xi praised the achievements of bilateral cooperation in various fields over the past seven years and more.
He said that enhancing the China-Uzbekistan relationship is the common aspiration of the two peoples.
Mutual Support and Trust
Xi emphasized that the two sides have always treated each other with sincerity and mutual trust.
He said that the two countries should support each other more firmly in the face of the current complex international situation.
Xi reiterated China’s firm support for Uzbekistan’s efforts to safeguard its national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and to choose its development path.
He also called for a better role of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee and other platforms in strengthening strategic communication and deepening strategic mutual trust.
Synergizing the Belt and Road Initiative
Xi proposed to synergize China’s eight major steps to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Uzbekistan’s development priorities.
He suggested that the two sides should explore the potential of traditional cooperation, introduce more trade and investment facilitation measures.
And also to expand cooperation on infrastructure and the construction of agricultural high-tech parks, and implement medium and long-term cooperation plans for the economy, trade, and investment.
Xi said that China is willing to import more quality products from Uzbekistan.
He also urged the two sides to start the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project as soon as possible, and to advance both hard and soft connectivity, to help Uzbekistan transform from a landlocked country into a land-linked country.
Xi expressed China’s willingness to expand cooperation with Uzbekistan across the entire new energy vehicle industrial chain.
And to cooperate on major projects, including photovoltaic power, wind power, and hydropower projects, to support Uzbekistan’s green economic development strategy and promote sustainable development.
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People-to-People Exchanges
President Xi also stressed the need to cooperate on poverty reduction, expand and deepen local cooperation, build more projects to benefit their people, and deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
He said that China will provide more government scholarships for Uzbekistan’s young people to study in China.
President Xi also highlighted bilateral coordination and cooperation on maintaining the correct direction of the development of the SCO, implementing the outcomes of the China-Central Asia Summit, strengthening the China-Central Asia mechanism, promoting global and regional governance, and advancing the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity.
Moreover, President Mirziyoyev thanked Xi for his warm hospitality and congratulated China on its development achievements under Xi’s leadership.
Additionally, he said that he chose China as the first country he visited this year to show the importance he attaches to the China-Uzbekistan relationship.
He expressed his confidence that China will make greater achievements on its journey to realizing the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.
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