Xi arrives in Tashkent for Uzbekistan visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) is welcomed by Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov at the airport in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sept. 8, 2013. Xi arrived here on Sunday for a state visit to Uzbekistan. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Tashkent on Sunday evening for a state visit to Uzbekistan aimed at further boosting bilateral relations and cooperation.

During the visit, Xi is scheduled to hold talks with Uzbek President Islam Karimov, and the two sides are expected to sign a host of cooperation agreements.

Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, China and Uzbekistan have witnessed rapid development of bilateral ties and cooperation. The two countries upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership in 2012.

Xi flew to the Uzbek capital after wrapping up a state visit to Kazakhstan. Earlier in his ongoing overseas trip, he visited Turkmenistan and attended a Group of 20 summit in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

After Uzbekistan, the Chinese president is to pay a state visit to Kyrgyzstan, where he will also attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.