Xi calls on China, Uzbekistan to introduce more measures for trade liberalization, facilitation

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 17, 2025. [Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan]

ASTANA -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on China and Uzbekistan to introduce more measures to promote trade liberalization and facilitation.

Xi made the remarks in a meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the second China-Central Asia Summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

Xi noted that last year he and Mirziyoyev met twice, in Beijing and Astana respectively, and made strategic plans for the development of bilateral relations.

Cooperation between the two countries in various fields has shown a favorable situation of full-scale expansion and vigorous development, he said.

China, he added, is willing to work with Uzbekistan to strengthen the synergy of development strategies and exchange of governance experiences, implement more mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation projects, boost the development of both countries, and jointly build a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future that is more substantial and dynamic.

Xi emphasized that China and Uzbekistan should expand the scale of bilateral trade and investment, advance the high-quality construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, foster a multidimensional connectivity framework, and expand practical cooperation in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, new energy, smart agriculture and public health.

The two sides should actively promote the reciprocal establishment of cultural centers, organize well the second China-Uzbekistan educational forum, continue to strengthen cooperation on poverty alleviation, and promote people-to-people connectivity, Xi added.

Xi also stressed the need to further deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, jointly combat terrorism, separatism and extremism, and work together to address new threats and challenges, so as to safeguard regional peace and stability.

Xi said the two sides should strengthen collaboration within multilateral platforms, including the China-Central Asia mechanism and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, to jointly safeguard international equity and justice and uphold the international economic and trade order. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 17, 2025. [Xinhua/Yan Yan]