Roundup: Chinese-Uzbek relations develop smoothly

Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay a two-day state visit to Uzbekistan from Monday to Tuesday. Since China and Uzbekistan established diplomatic ties in January 1992, bilateral relations have developed smoothly and quite well.

The two countries set up their diplomatic ties soon after Uzbekistan's announcement of independence on Sept. 1, 1991, which opened a new chapter of the relations between the two states on the ancient "Silk Road" flourishing 2000 years ago.

Based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the two nations' cooperation in politics, economy, science, technology and culture has developed very well in recent years. Top leaders of the two states have exchanged frequent visits that have greatly pushed forward bilateral relationship.

China and Uzbekistan share many common grounds. Both are developing countries, conducting economic reforms under new circumstances and economically complementary with each other.

The two states have signed scores of agreements on cooperation. China has formed dozens of joint ventures in Uzbekistan and economic reforms in Uzbekistan have opened broad prospects for expanding bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

The two countries' leaders attach great significance to strengthening the mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, investment, production and services, with priorities given to enhancing the cooperation in transport and shipping. They pledged to reinvigorate the "Silk Road" through bilateral and multilateral interaction.

The two neighbors have also deepened their collaboration in fighting terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking.

Beijing and Tashkent have repeatedly stated their stands on jointly combating separatism, religious extremism and international terrorism. Uzbekistan has reiterated its adherence to the one-China policy.

In June 2001, Uzbekistan joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and signed the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism.

Since then, China and Uzbekistan have maintained active and effective cooperation in the SCO framework and achieved further development of bilateral ties.

Observers here noted that lasting and steady development of the Sino-Uzbek friendly relations and cooperation conforms to fundamental interests of both countries and peoples and benefits regional peace, stability and development.

Source: Xinhua