China, Uzbekistan to deepen all-around co-op, advance ties

China and Uzbekistan will continue to deepen cooperation in a variety of areas to advance their strategic partnership, Chinese diplomats have said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Uzbekistan from Sept. 8 to 10 at the invitation of his Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Chinese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Zhang Xiao said Xi's visit will reach a milestone in China-Uzbekistan relations as it has great significance for planning the future development of bilateral ties in the next decade or a longer period, enhancing cooperation and safeguarding regional peace, stability and development.

During Xi's visit, Zhang said, leaders of the two countries will exchange in-depth opinions on the international and regional situation and major issues as well as the future development of the bilateral relationship. They will also sign and publish a series of important documents.

Zhang said he is convinced that the fruitful achievements to be made during this visit will inject dynamism into the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries and lift bilateral relations to a new level.

China and Uzbekistan are enjoying deepening political mutual trust, effective cooperation on security and fruitful practical cooperation, Zhang said.

The two countries firmly support each other's efforts in safeguarding national unity and territorial integrity, Zhang said, adding that Uzbekistan always stands together with China on issues concerning China's Taiwan, Xinjiang and Tibet.

Both countries have maintained close coordination in jointly fighting the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism, ensuring the success of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, the diplomat said.

Chinese counselor to Uzbekistan Wang Kaixuan told Xinhua the economic and trade cooperation between China and Uzbekistan has entered a fast track since Karimov's visit to China last June, when the two countries forged a strategic partnership.

China's statistics show that bilateral trade stood at 2.88 billion U.S. dollars in 2012, up 32.8 percent year-on-year, and China has become the second biggest trading partner of Uzbekistan, Wang said.

Uzbekistan's statistics show that Chinese investment accounted for 35.6 percent of the total foreign investment in Uzbekistan, and China is Uzbekistan's biggest investor as a country, he added.

Bilateral trade has reached 2.54 billion dollars in the January-July period this year, a 60 percent increase year-on-year, Wang said, adding that their trade volume for 2013 is expected to reach nearly 4 billion dollars.

Wang said the two countries enjoy complementary advantages in economy, which can create broad space for the development of economic and trade cooperation. Uzbekistan boasts of rich gas and oil resources and mineral reserves, while China has a technological edge in energy, transportation, telecommunication, agricultural development, mechanical equipment, light industry and household appliances.

Meanwhile, their trade and economic cooperation pattern is witnessing positive changes as bilateral cooperation has expanded into investment and non-energy sectors.