On January 23, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in Beijing for a three-day visit, marking the first exchange between China and Central Asia this year. During his stay, President Mirziyoyev engaged in high-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and participated in various bilateral meetings.
Over the past two years, China and Uzbekistan have been actively strengthening their relationship. Notably, in February 2022, President Mirziyoyev made a visit to China, followed by President Xi Jinping's trip to Uzbekistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand in September of the same year. Additionally, President Mirziyoyev attended the first China-Central Asia summit in May and the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in October.
President Mirziyoyev highlighted in his recent article that Uzbekistan-China relations are at a historic high. He emphasized the importance of elevating bilateral ties to a \"qualitatively new and higher level,\" focusing on developing transport and logistics infrastructure and strengthening people-to-people diplomacy to enhance Uzbek-Chinese friendship.
In their discussions, the two leaders upgraded their relationship to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era, signaling significant potential for future cooperation. According to China's General Administration of Customs, bilateral trade reached 98.85 billion yuan ($13.93 billion) last year, a 53.2% increase from 2022. China's exports to Uzbekistan surged by 76.8% year-on-year, showcasing remarkable growth.
Despite the geographical proximity, current transport routes from China to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan take 45 to 70 days by train, which is impractical for high-value or perishable goods. Air transport, though faster, is costly. To address these challenges, discussions are underway to build a new railway between China and Uzbekistan through Kyrgyzstan. This project aims to significantly reduce transportation costs and time, transforming trade relations and boosting the economies of the involved countries. The envisioned extension through Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and TĂŒrkiye could eventually reach Europe, shortening the distance from China to TĂŒrkiye by approximately 900 kilometers.
Reference(s):
China-Uzbekistan cooperation promotes closer ties across Central Asia
cgtn.com
