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Central Asia
ChinaDiplomacy

China pledges to upgrade relations with new ‘all-weather friend’ Uzbekistan is seeks to strengthen links with Central Asia

  • Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev concluded a visit to China where the two countries pledged to cooperate in areas such as green energy and transport
  • President Xi Jinping has called for work on a China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan rail link to start as soon as possible

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President Xi Jinping welcomes his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua
Jane Caiin Beijing
China and Uzbekistan have pledged to upgrade relations to an “all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership” and boost cooperation in economic, security and diplomatic affairs as Beijing continues its pivot to Central Asia.
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Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s three-day visit to China concluded on Thursday with both countries pledging to support each other on matters that concern their “core interests”.

The two countries said they hope new measures to boost trade between the two countries will help double last year’s total volume of US$10 billion by an unspecified “early date”, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Mirziyoyev that the two sides should begin work as soon as possible on a railway that would run through Kyrgyzstan to link the two countries and boost landlocked Uzbekistan’s connectivity with the wider world, according to an earlier report from Xinhua.

A Central Asian rail link would also help open new trades as shippers shun the existing overland links through Russia following its invasion of Ukraine and the introduction of Western sanctions.

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Xi also pledged Chinese funding, technology and know-how in areas such as new energy vehicles as well as solar, wind and hydropower to support Uzbekistan’s green development strategy.

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