China, Uzbekistan increase ties to comprehensive strategic partnership

World Today

Photo:Xinhua

China and Uzbekistan upgraded their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership Wednesday after talks between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov.

The two countries also outlined the cooperation plan for their new partnership in such areas as political mutual trust and support, the China-proposed Silk Road Economic Belt initiative, national and regional security, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and collaboration on international affairs.

The upgrade was based on the “unprecedented high standard of China-Uzbekistan high-level interaction, political mutual trust, and win-win cooperation” they have built since establishing a strategic partnership in 2012, said a joint statement.

The Chinese president is in Uzbekistan for a state visit. He will also attend the 16th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of State June 23-24.

Uzbekistan is the third and final stop of Xi’s three-nation tour, which has taken him to Serbia and Poland.

Story by Xinhua


Afshin Molavi on President Xi’s state visit to Poland, Uzbekistan

For more about President Xi’s state visit, CCTV America’s Asieh Namdar spoke to Afshin Molavi.
He’s a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.