Beijing pledges to advance ties with Tashkent

Premier calls for more political trust, enhanced exchanges with Uzbekistan

Premier Li Keqiang called for stronger political mutual trust and deeper pragmatic cooperation on Tuesday between China and Uzbekistan, saying that Beijing stands ready to offer easier customs clearance for the country's agricultural exports to the Chinese market.

Speaking during a meeting via video link with his Uzbek counterpart Abdulla Aripov, Li said China stands ready to work for closer high-level exchanges and bringing bilateral relations to a higher level.

China is willing to continue bilateral cooperation in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and will continue to do its best to offer help to the Central Asian country, he said, adding that the nation will support businesses from both sides in the joint production of vaccines under the principle of mutual benefits.

The premier noted that the two sides have supported and helped each other since the outbreak of the pandemic, with their continuous pragmatic cooperation contributing positively to the economic recovery of both nations.

With China and Uzbekistan set to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties next year, Li said he hopes that the two nations can use the anniversary as an opportunity to host an array of events to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and enhance mutual understanding and the traditional friendship between the two peoples.

China is ready to step up coordination with Uzbekistan under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and to offer greater impetus to post-pandemic recovery and the improvement of people's livelihoods, he said.

Aripov expressed appreciation for China's help in Uzbekistan's pandemic fight, saying that the nation is willing to step up cooperation with China to contain the virus.

He called on the two sides to strengthen the role of the mechanism of the bilateral intergovernmental cooperation committee to further expand and deepen win-win cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, energy and connectivity.

Also on Tuesday, Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, held talks via video link with Natalia Kochanova, chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, and Vladimir Andreichenko, chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus.

As next year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Li Zhanshu called for strengthening mutual political support and continuing to firmly support their respective core interests and major concerns.

He said the two nations should intensify their anti-pandemic partnership, advance the joint building of the Belt and Road and pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and strengthen policy communication to push for substantial achievements in broader fields.

He also stressed the need for the two countries to strengthen multilateral coordination and jointly oppose unilateralism, bullying, intervention in domestic affairs, sanctions and containment in order to safeguard international fairness and justice.

The two leaders from Belarus hailed bilateral ties and said their country firmly sticks to the one-China policy and opposes external intervention in all forms.