On January 23-25 this year, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will pay a state visit to the People’s Republic of China, which will undoubtedly be of high significance and will give a new impetus to enhancing and deepening cooperation between Uzbekistan and China.

Despite geopolitical tensions and growing instability centers in the world, the relations between Uzbekistan and China are experiencing the best stage in their development, demonstrating an excellent model of bilateral interaction.

Promotion of Comprehensive Political Dialogue

For more than 30 years, Uzbekistan and China have continuously strengthened political mutual trust and developed bilateral relations based on equality, friendship, good-neighborliness, mutual support, mutual benefit, respect, and consideration of each other’s interests.

With the election of Shavkat Mirziyoyev as President of Uzbekistan, the interaction between Uzbekistan and China has entered a trajectory of more dynamic development. This is facilitated by regular political dialogue at the highest level and friendly and trusting relations between the two countries’ leaders.

Thanks to the political will and efforts of the heads of state, in September 2022, bilateral relations were raised to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a New Era, which reflects the similarity of their views and geopolitical priorities, the mutual desire to take cooperation to a higher level and fill it with new content.

Since 2017, 3 telephone conversations and 8 meetings have taken place. Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Uzbekistan in 2022. In turn, the Leader of Uzbekistan visited China 5 times (in 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023).

As a result of mutual state visits over the past two years, about 60 documents have been signed. Agreements have been reached on implementing trade contracts and investment agreements worth more than $40 billion.

Active dialogue supported at the intergovernmental, interparliamentary, and interdepartmental levels also plays a key role in deepening multifaceted interaction.

Since 2011, meetings of the Uzbekistan – China Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee, which includes 7 specialized subcommittees, have been held. An agreement was reached in 2022 on creating a subcommittee on poverty reduction.

Since 2017, the Inter-Parliamentary Group on Cooperation between the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the National People’s Congress has been operating, which helps to intensify mutual visits of parliamentary delegations and conduct joint events to exchange experience in rule-making. In addition, political consultations are held regularly at the level of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries.

In November 2023, the first Strategic Dialogue between the two countries’ foreign ministers was launched in Beijing, which became a new mechanism for implementing agreements reached at the highest level.

At the same time, interregional exchanges have been noticeably intensified. Last year, delegations from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Shaanxi, Shandong, Jiangsu, and Jiangxi provinces visited Uzbekistan. Following the visits, more than 100 investment contracts and agreements worth $3.5 billion were signed. Several agreements on establishing partnerships between cities and regions of Uzbekistan and China have also been signed.

Over the years of cooperation, a solid legal framework of over 285 documents has been created, covering virtually all areas of interstate relations. 

To date, the Program for the Development of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a New Era for 2023-2027 and the Program for the Development of Trade, Economic and Investment Cooperation between China and Uzbekistan for 2022-2026 are being implemented. 

In addition to the bilateral agenda, China and Uzbekistan have significantly enhanced coordination within regional and international organizations such as the UN, SCO, CICA, BRICS Plus, and others. The two sides provide each other with mutual support, demonstrating proximity and similarity of positions on the most pressing global and regional issues. 

Beijing has supported several resolutions initiated by Uzbekistan at the UN in recent years. Tashkent, in turn, highly appreciates and supports the initiatives promoted by China on global development, global security, and global civilization, which are of key importance for implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring peace and security, and strengthening inter-civilizational dialogue.

To date, the “Central Asia-China” format at the level of heads of state has become a new platform for China’s interaction with Central Asian countries. As a result of the first face-to-face summit of the heads of state of Central Asia and China, held in May 2023, the Xi'an Declaration was signed, which established the institutional basis for deepening cooperation in the new format.

The parties’ interaction within the framework of China’s flagship project, Belt and Road, is of no minor importance for the intensification of bilateral cooperation. The leader of our state has already participated three times in the work of the international Belt and Road forums in 2017, 2019, and 2023.

As rightly characterized by our President, speaking at the jubilee third forum dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the initiative: “Over the years, the idea to revitalize the Great Silk Road has gained many supporters and turned into a sought-after, inclusive, and open platform of interaction”.

At the same time, Uzbekistan’s priority areas of cooperation within the framework of this initiative are:

1) implementation of transport and logistics projects that increase the transit potential of our country and can provide the shortest access to world markets;

2) building supply chains with high added value by creating capacities for the production of high-tech products;

3) adaptation to climate change and intensification of interaction within the framework of the “Green Silk Road”, providing for the development of green energy, green technologies, smart agriculture, etc.;

4) developing cultural and humanitarian ties through our country’s enormous tourism potential and strengthening cooperation in education, science, culture, and healthcare.

Enhancing Mutually Beneficial Economic and Investment Cooperation

The central place in bilateral relations is trade, economic, and investment cooperation, which has demonstrated positive dynamics and stable growth in recent years.

China has become a leading trading partner and major investor in Uzbekistan’s economy. In 2023, bilateral trade turnover amounted to $13.7 billion. In our country’s total foreign trade turnover, China’s share reached 21.9%. At the same time, there is every reason to increase trade turnover to $20 billion in the next five years.

The basis of Uzbek exports to China are mineral fuels, petroleum products, copper and copper products, cotton yarn and silk, and plastics. The basis of Uzbek imports from China are machinery and equipment, vehicles, plastics, rubber, and metals. At the same time, most of the imports account for the purchase of high-tech equipment, machine tools, and machines necessary to modernize the industrial sector of our country’s economy.

It is gratifying to note that with the signing of a package of protocols on phytosanitary requirements in 2018, the range and volumes of agricultural and food products exported by Uzbekistan to the PRC have increased significantly.

Today, Uzbekistan has received permission to export 21 types of such products (mung bean, dried grapes, cherries, melons, peanuts, pomegranates, sesame seeds, dried apricots, honey, dried prunes, lemon, beans, dried melon, chicken feet, etc.).

For example, mung bean and dried grapes exports have increased significantly in recent years. Uzbekistan’s share in the total volume of Chinese imports of mung bean has reached 37%, and in the import of dried grapes – 50%.

Since the beginning of large-scale reforms and an open foreign economic policy, Chinese investors have shown a steady interest in Uzbekistan, investing heavily in the oil and gas, chemical, telecommunications industries, hydropower, agriculture, light industry, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and production of building materials.

The total volume of Chinese investments in Uzbekistan for 2017-2022 increased 5 times, reaching almost $11 billion. Today, there are 2,125 enterprises in our country with the participation of Chinese capital, which is 15% of the total number of enterprises created with capital from foreign countries.

Several large projects have already been implemented with Chinese partners, such as the Kungrad Soda Plant, the Dehkanabad Plant on Production of Potash Fertilizers, the Huaxin Cement Jizzakh and Farg'ona Yasin Qurilish Mollari cement plants, the Navoiazot joint-stock company complex for the production of polyvinyl chloride, caustic soda, and methanol. In 2023, the largest cement plant with a capacity of 3 million tons per year was opened in Samarkand region in partnership with Energy China, and a truck production plant was established in Andijan region in collaboration with the Chinese automobile company FAW.

At the same time, it is essential to emphasize that Chinese investors actively participate in creating joint high-tech industrial parks in our country. A successful example in this direction is the Peng Sheng Park, created in 2009 in the “Jizzakh” Free Economic Zone.

In this park, together with the Chinese company ZTE, a line for the production of smartphones was built, and factories were opened to produce valves and mixers, ceramic tiles, sanitary ware, and footwear products based on domestic raw materials. Today, it provides work for about 2 thousand residents.

Soon, it is planned to build an Uzbekistan – China Agro-Industrial Park, an Agro-Innovation Park, and an Uzbekistan – China Biotechnology Cluster, which will also help deepen bilateral cooperation in the production of high-tech products and the creation of new jobs.

At the same time, cooperation between countries is deepening in producing new-generation cars equipped with electric and hybrid engines. In 2023, corresponding agreements were signed with the Chinese companies EXEED and BYD Auto Industry.

In addition, agreements were signed on the joint development of technologies and installation of chargers for electric vehicles. According to plans, by 2033, 70 centralized and 50 thousand decentralized electric filling stations will be built in all regions of our country.

In the global trend toward the transition to green development, implementing joint projects for the widespread introduction of renewable energy sources (solar, wind, and hydroelectric power stations) is a relevant area of cooperation between Uzbekistan and China.

China is the undisputed global leader in deploying renewable energy sources (RES). By the end of 2023, the total installed capacity of green energy in the country’s energy balance reached 49.6%. Chinese manufacturers of solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries account for about 70% of the global market.

Strengthening cooperation between Uzbekistan and China in implementing renewable energy sources will undoubtedly help improve our country’s energy security and environmental sustainability. This will also contribute to more effective implementation of the Green Economy Transition Program and ensure green growth in the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030, according to which it is planned to increase renewable energy capacity in the country’s overall energy balance by up to 30%.

Chinese companies are already implementing several projects to construct solar and wind power plants in Kashkadarya, Bukhara, and Andijan regions. Moreover, in May 2023, new agreements were reached on constructing 11 solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 4.8 GW, worth $4.4 billion. In addition, the Chinese side is actively involved in preparing feasibility studies for hydroelectric power station construction projects in Namangan and Tashkent regions.

Another promising area of partnership between Uzbekistan and China is digital development. In the last decade, China has made a giant leap in digital innovation, leading in the development of 5G technologies, blockchain, the Internet of Things, big data, artificial intelligence, and e-commerce.

Thanks to the development of electronic trading platforms such as Alibaba, Taobao, and AliExpress, China has become the world leader in e-commerce, with a total transaction volume of $2 trillion.

Considering China’s rich experience and achievements in this direction, Uzbekistan is interested in technology transfer and attracting Chinese investment in developing e-commerce, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, and creating centers for processing and storing big data.

In recent years, interaction between the two countries in the development of electronic commerce has reached a new stage of development. So, in September 2022, a permanent national pavilion of Uzbekistan was launched on the Alibaba platform, where more than 100 products from the textile, agricultural, and food industries are displayed. In the future, it is planned to open new industry sections and increase product names to 300.

Strengthening Cultural and Humanitarian Ties

Uzbekistan and China pay special attention to the expansion of cultural and humanitarian ties, which contribute to all possible rapprochement, deepening mutual understanding and mutual enrichment of the cultures of the two peoples.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his signed article on the eve of his state visit to Uzbekistan in September 2022, focused on the fact that the Great Silk Road testifies to friendly contacts between our peoples for more than 2000 years. Countries still keep good memories of such pioneers and envoys of friendship between China and Uzbekistan as Zhang Qian, Xuan Zang, Wu Zhu, Seyid Ajal Shamsuddin, and others. Such centuries-old friendship between China and Uzbekistan, passed down from generation to generation, continues to serve as a solid foundation for this day for further strengthening of multifaceted cooperation.

A worthy contribution to strengthening mutual understanding between the two peoples is being made by the “Uzbekistan – China” Friendship Society, the “China – Central Asia” Friendship Society, and the Chinese National Cultural Center in Tashkent.

Every year, cooperation in education, science, tourism, healthcare, sports, and archeology is actively developing, and exchanges between educational and academic institutions, youth organizations, and the media are being strengthened. This is facilitated by regularly held joint conferences, symposia, exhibitions, tourism fairs, culture and cinema days, concerts, and festivals.

The year 2023 was busy in terms of holding various joint cultural events. For example, in October, an exhibition of Uzbek historical heritage was organized at the archaeological cooperation exhibition within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative at the Gugun Palace Museum in Beijing. In addition, Chinese Culture Days were held in Uzbekistan.

It is also necessary to emphasize the growing interest in mutual language learning among young people of the two countries. For example, departments for studying the Uzbek language have been opened in two Chinese universities, and the Center for Uzbek Language and Culture was created. In Uzbekistan, Chinese is taught in six universities.

At the same time, the primary university specializing in training sinologists is the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies (TSUOS), where a separate faculty of Chinese Studies has been opened in the following three areas: “Chinese language and literature”, “Politics, history and international relations of the PRC” and “Economy of China”. All faculty teaching staff undergo training and regularly improve their skills at prestigious universities in China.

The activities of the Confucius Institutes opened in Tashkent, and Samarkand significantly contribute to the study of the Chinese language and the popularization of Chinese culture. It is important to note that the first agreement on the opening of the Confucius Institute in Central Asia was signed by China with Uzbekistan in 2004.

As is known, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of the first Confucius Institutes in the world. In this regard, the academic circles of Uzbekistan and China could consider holding a joint scientific and practical conference in Tashkent dedicated to the legacy of Confucius.

Cooperation between the countries in tourism is also developing steadily. Uzbeks and Chinese are interested in the shared history of the two ancient Eastern civilizations, which were connected by the Great Silk Road, rich historical and cultural heritage, and unique ancient architectural monuments located on the territory of the states, which serve as the basis for the intensification of tourist exchanges.

Since 2010, Uzbekistan has been assigned the status of a tourist country for group travel of Chinese citizens, and since 2021, a 10-day visa-free regime applies to residents of China.

In addition, much work is being done to popularize the Uzbek tourism brand in China. In particular, study tours to Uzbekistan were organized for popular Chinese media and journalists, and videos about Uzbekistan were broadcast on Chinese channels.

Thanks to the measures taken, the flow of Chinese tourists to Uzbekistan has increased significantly in recent years. At the end of last year, their number exceeded 40 thousand people.

In addition, the number of flights between countries is increasing. Currently, three airlines, Uzbekistan Airways, China Southern Airlines, and Loong Air, operate 11 weekly flights between Uzbekistan and China (Urumqi, Beijing, Guangzhou, Xi’an, Chengdu).

In general, the high development dynamics of the entire spectrum of relations between Uzbekistan and China, which is observed today, gives clear grounds to assert that this trend will grow and gain new momentum. Countries should not stop there. It is essential to continue strengthening bilateral cooperation aimed at:

First, deepening the political dialogue. Against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical turbulence and growing instability in the world, strengthening strategic mutual trust and dialogue between countries, both at the bilateral level and within regional and global structures, will help promote the common positions and interests of the two countries in the international arena.

Second, the expansion of trade, economic, and investment interaction. In particular, by strengthening industrial cooperation, balanced growth of trade turnover, attracting Chinese investment in high-tech sectors of the economy of Uzbekistan for the production of goods with high added value, as well as the creation of joint ventures for the cultivation and processing of agricultural products.

Third, strengthening cooperation in the development of transport and logistics connectivity. In the current conditions, countries need to intensify interaction to build a multi-variant system of transport and logistics routes that will contribute to the growth of mutual trade and access to new export markets. Implementing the China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan, Termez – Mazar-i-Sharif – Kabul – Peshawar, and other alternative routes is particularly important.

Fourth, intensify cooperation on the transition towards green development and digitalization. An essential role in this direction will be played by further exchange of experience and attraction of Chinese investments in the development of alternative energy, the introduction of modern resource-saving, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly technologies, as well as innovative digital technologies;

Fifth, strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties. This can be achieved through expanding cultural, science, education, and tourism interaction. For example, to increase mutual tourist exchanges, countries need to work out issues related to reducing visa restrictions, and to intensify cooperation in the educational field, it is essential to accelerate the launch of double degree programs between leading universities in Uzbekistan and China.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the upcoming contacts at the highest level will undoubtedly contribute to bringing bilateral interaction to a higher level, strengthen the bonds of traditional friendship and good neighborliness, and also identify new promising directions for a multifaceted strategic partnership.

Madina Aripova,

Chief Research Fellow,

Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan