Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) shakes hands with Uzbek President Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, June 15, 2004.

China and Uzbekistan signed a joint statement and 10 other documents Tuesday in Tashkent to cement their cooperation in oil and natural gas, education, culture and fight against terrorism.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, who is on a state visit to the Central Asian nation, signed a joint statement with Uzbek President Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov to set up the framework of cooperation. The two sides pledged in the statement to deepen their "friendly and cooperative partnership relations."

China's leading oil and natural gas company, Sinopec, signed a "mutually beneficial cooperation agreement" with Uzbekistan's national oil and natural gas company. But details of the agreement were not made public.

Education ministries of the two countries signed an agreement that allows the two sides to jointly establish a Confucius institute in Tashkent.

Other accords signed by the two countries covered cooperation in the fields of anti-drug combat, justice, trade and cultural exchange.

President Karimov said the cooperation between the two sides in areas of oil and gas, the chemical industry, electronics, telecommunications and transportation will "have broad prospects."

China has decided to provide assistance and preferential loans to Uzbekistan, which will be "very important to Uzbek social and economic development," according to Karimov, but the specific sum was not revealed.

Chinese President Hu Jintao reviews the guard of hounor with the accompany of Uzbek President Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, June 15, 2004.

Uzbekistan and China share identical or similar views on a series of international and regional issues, bilateral relations and coordination within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said Karimov.

In addition, the Uzbek president said his country will continue to "firmly support" China's policy on the issue of Taiwan.

The two sides hold the same view on the stability and security of Central Asia and the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism as well as drug smuggling, he said.

Chinese President Hu described his talks with Karimov as "fruitful," which resulted in consensus on a wide range of issues.

"The two sides agree that they share common interests and responsibility in maintaining regional stability and security, and will strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and multinational organizations," Hu said.

Hu invited President Karimov to visit China and the latter accepted the invitation.

The Chinese president arrived here Monday night after his state visits to Poland, Hungary and Romania. He will also attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit meeting scheduled to be held here on Thursday.