TASHKENT, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- During a productive day of high-level exchanges in Tashkent on Saturday, China and Uzbekistan pledged to deepen practical cooperation, from expanding trade and connectivity to exploring emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and the green economy.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in the Central Asian nation on Saturday for a two-day official visit, where he highlighted China's readiness to enhance bilateral practical cooperation and deepen the building of the China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future to deliver greater benefits to the people of both countries.
During his meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Li said China is ready to work with Uzbekistan to expand bilateral trade and optimize its structure.
China supports more capable Chinese enterprises in investing and doing business in Uzbekistan, he said, calling for continued provision of a favorable business environment for these enterprises.
China is also willing to import more high-quality and specialty products from Uzbekistan, and welcomes Uzbekistan to make full use of platforms such as the China International Import Expo to actively explore the Chinese market, he told Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov in their talks.
China has been a major trading partner of Uzbekistan and its main source of imports. Two-way trade reached 16.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, marking a 17.9 percent increase year over year, Chinese official data showed.
In the first eight months of this year, China accounted for the largest share of Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover, at 23 percent, according to the Uzbek official tally. More than 6,000 joint ventures involving Chinese participation are operating in Uzbekistan.
Building on a decade of flourishing cooperation under the China-Uzbekistan comprehensive strategic partnership, the two countries are exploring broader avenues for cooperation to inject fresh vitality into a golden age of bilateral ties.
In Tashkent, Li and Aripov jointly watched a video showcasing practical cooperation between China and Uzbekistan across various fields.
They also witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation documents covering trade and economy, education, customs, health and poverty reduction, among others. During the visit, the two sides also signed cooperation documents on such areas as e-commerce and climate.
In his diplomatic engagement with the Uzbek side, Li vowed China's readiness to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with Uzbekistan and further leverage the complementary strengths of the two economies.
China is ready to work with Uzbekistan to deepen cooperation in scientific and technological innovation in fields such as artificial intelligence, the green economy, and aerospace, so as to jointly seize future development opportunities, he said.
Eldor Tulyakov, executive director of the Development Strategy Center of Uzbekistan, told Xinhua that as bilateral engagement enters a broader and deeper stage, cooperation with China has worked to advance the Central Asian country's national development goals.
"Political trust creates favorable conditions, and practical work gives it substance," he said, highlighting tangible economic gains from electric vehicle manufacturing to green energy.
In recent years, Chinese-built solar plants and wind farms have been supplying electricity to grids across several regions in Uzbekistan, powering the country's green transition while bolstering its equipment manufacturing capabilities.
New projects are adding further momentum to this transition.
In August, a China-supported wind power project was completed in the Tashkent region's Bostanlyk district. Upon full operation, it is expected to save roughly 12 million cubic meters of natural gas, and cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 24,000 tons per year.
The Chinese premier and the Uzbek leaders also highlighted collaborations on regional connectivity initiatives, including the high-level construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, among other projects of Belt and Road cooperation.
Not long ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for efforts to ensure the high-quality construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, during his stay in Bishkek for a state visit to Kyrgyzstan and to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2026.
Xi described the railway as a major transportation artery that carries the development aspirations of the people across the region.
Officially launched in December 2024, the railway project, which is now under construction, is a manifestation of the practical side of multilateral collaboration for China and Central Asia.
The railway "links the interests of several countries around a common project," said Tulyakov, adding that it is expected to spur the development of trade and logistics infrastructure along the mainline and promote the use of digital solutions in trade and transport procedures.
"The tangible results of cooperation are most visible where enterprises are already operating, infrastructure has been built, and new professions have emerged," the expert added. ■
