Chinese President: Uzbekistan is strategic partner of China

Chinese President said that Uzbekistan is a close and friendly neighbor as well as a strategic partner of China.

“Over the past 21 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Uzbekistan relations have maintained sound and steady growth. Fruitful cooperation has been conducted across the board and a large number of major joint projects successfully implemented to the benefit of the people. In 2012, two-way trade reached 2.875 billion U.S. dollars, more than 50 times the figure in the early days of diplomatic relations. China is now Uzbekistan’ s second largest trading partner and its biggest source of foreign investment. The China-Uzbekistan strategic partnership is brimming with vigor and vitality. China will, acting in the long-term interests and in keeping with the need of the growth of bilateral relations, work with Uzbekistan to take the strategic partnership to new heights,” he said.

Chinese leader said: “Both China and Uzbekistan boast time-honored history and splendid culture. More than 2,000 years ago, the Chinese and Uzbek people opened the Silk Road together. Today, it is the shared historic mission of both countries to revive the Silk Road. By fully tapping into their geographic proximity, economic complementarity and close cultural, historical and people-to-people ties, the two countries may work actively together in the following areas. First, advance connectivity. China is ready to cooperate with Uzbekistan in rail, road, air and transit transportation, among others. Second, expand trade and investment and raise the quality of business cooperation. The Chinese government will encourage more Chinese companies with a competitive edge to invest in Uzbekistan and welcome Uzbek companies to conduct business in China. Third, boost people-to-people exchanges. We will tap the potential in tourism cooperation, actively exchange academic and other delegations and stage cultural performances in each other’s countries.”

“I am confident that with the joint efforts of the two sides, the modern Silk Road with diverse forms and rich content will definitely bring more benefits to the two peoples,” he added.

“In the past 12 years since the founding of the SCO, member states have forged a close community of common destinies and shared interests. In the face of complex regional and international situation, maintaining regional security and stability and promoting common development of member states has been, is and will continue to be SCO’s top priority and objective for quite a long time to come,” Xi Jinping said.

“On security, member states need to continue to firmly support each other’s endeavor to safeguard national security and social stability and intensify efforts to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism and drug-related crimes. What merits caution is that there is a growing tendency of terrorists and drug criminals colluding with each other in the region. Therefore, counter-terrorism and anti-narcotic efforts should be integrated with a two-pronged approach. China believes that there is a need to give the SCO Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure the function of anti-narcotics to enhance its overall ability to fight both terrorism and drug trafficking,” the Chinese President stated.

“On economy, member states need to vigorously promote pragmatic cooperation. The ultimate purpose of maintaining regional security and stability is to achieve common development and prosperity. Parties need to accelerate the implementation of cooperation projects in such advantageous areas as transport, energy, communications and agriculture, and expedite studies on setting up an SCO development bank to resolve project financing difficulties and address international financial risks. Moreover, the SCO needs to step up pragmatic cooperation with other multilateral mechanisms in the region to draw on each other’s strengths.

“China has all along supported SCO’s development. For a long time, China has actively exchanged experience on law-enforcement and security cooperation with other member states, provided concessional loans for economic cooperation among member states, helped them train professionals for national development, and worked with them to respond to the international financial crisis in a spirit of solidarity. China will continue to join hands with other member states to create a brighter future for the SCO,” he added.

Xi Jinping notedL “Since its inception, the SCO has taken solid steps in cooperation in political, security, economic, people-to-people and cultural fields and on the international stage. It has played an important role in maintaining regional security and stability and promoting common development, and is now brimming with vigor and vitality. It has become the consensus of member states to facilitate faster and better development of the organization and to promote the attainment of common targets.”

He said that the SCO Bishkek Summit will take place against two important backgrounds.

“First, there have been new changes in the region and the world. In-depth adjustments in global economy, persistent turmoil in west Asia and north Africa, and new complexities in the Afghanistan issue have all posed new challenges to regional security and stability and to SCO cooperation and development. At the same time, emerging economies have demonstrated greater development potential and broader prospects for cooperation. This has brought new opportunities for SCO’s development. Second, the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Between the SCO Member States, which has officially come into effect, has injected fresh impetus to member states’ efforts to elevate cooperation to a higher level, improve their capacity in meeting various threats and challenges, and speed up the building of a region of lasting peace and common prosperity. In this context, the upcoming summit will make plans and arrangements for SCO’s work at the next stage in line with the above-mentioned developments and changes.

“I believe that to advance the development of the SCO, it is necessary to continue to carry forward the "Shanghai Spirit" that features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and the pursuit of common development. It is important to ensure success in two areas: first, enhance self-development, improve capacity-building, and increase efficiency and level of cooperation; second, strengthen partnership network building, promote cooperation with observers and dialogue partners through concrete steps, and jointly work out regional development plans. Three tasks need to be fulfilled in real earnest, namely, maintaining security, developing the economy and improving people’s wellbeing as identified in the Strategic Plan for the Medium-Term Development of the SCO, to the benefit of people of member states,” he underlined.

“At the summit, I will put forth China’s views and initiatives on the afore-mentioned matters and I look forward to hearing valuable opinions from colleagues. I am confident that with concerted efforts of all member states, the summit will produce expected results and open a new chapter in the development of the organization,” he concluded.