Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Uzbekistan is a close neighbor and strategic partner of China. Healthy and stable dynamics has been maintained over 21 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in an interview with Uzbekistan's Jahon Information Agency ahead of his visit to the Central Asian state.

According to him, significant results have been achieved in bilateral cooperation in various fields, and a number of large and socially important joint projects have been successfully implemented.

President Jinping went on to say that today China is the second largest trading partner and investor of Uzbekistan.

"The strategic partnership between China and Uzbekistan is full of vigor and energy," the Chinese president said, expressing his country's readiness to work with the Uzbek side to further boost the strategic partnership of the two countries.

Jinping emphasized the close geographic location, economic complementarity and close historical, cultural and humanitarian ties.

He also said China is interested in building a unified transport network and touched upon the development of trade and investment, strengthening humanitarian ties, using the potential of tourism cooperation and scientific exchanges.

"I am convinced that thanks to our joint efforts, the Chinese-Uzbek cooperation will be further strengthened for the benefit of our countries and peoples," Jinping said.

The Chinese president's visit to Uzbekistan is scheduled for September 8-10.

Chinese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Zhang Xiao told journalists on September 2 that expansion of business and direct investment cooperation will be one of the important issues on the agenda of negotiations between the Uzbek leadership and President Jinping.

According to Xiao, the scope of China's financing and crediting in Uzbekistan will be increased.

He went on to say that the Uzbek-Chinese economic and trade cooperation has been developing dynamically in the past 21 years.

Xiao said the trade turnover between China and Uzbekistan has increased more than 50-fold compared to the early years of diplomatic relations. In the first seven months of 2013 alone, it grew 60 percent to $2.54 billion, which is equal to the level of 2011.

Uzbekistan and China are developing cooperation in oil, gas, petrochemical, chemical and mining industries, in the fields of transport and logistics, the manufacturing industry, telecommunications, production of electrical technology and modern construction materials, as well as in a number of other sectors of the economy.

The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $3.23 billion in 2012. The dynamics of sustainable growth has been retained this year.

Over 400 enterprises with Chinese capital are operating in Uzbekistan.