Speaking at the Fourth Forum of “China – Central Asia” think tanks, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Uzbekistan Yu Jun emphasized that this format is an essential platform for the exchange of opinions between experts from six countries within the framework of the China – Central Asia mechanism.

“The theme of the Forum is very relevant and focuses on important issues such as modernization, digital, innovative and green development, transport and logistics connectivity, and industrial cooperation, which meet the development needs of all Central Asian countries”, the diplomat said.

At the same time, Ambassador Yu Jun focused on cooperation within the “China – Central Asia” format. “Over the past year, this interaction mechanism, which is fully consistent with the trends of the times and meets the common interests of peoples, has shown its results”, he explained.

Over the past few years, China has been the leading trading partner of Central Asian countries. The growth rate of investment and cooperation in new energy, modern production, transport infrastructure, and other areas is increasing, and the movement of people, goods, and services is becoming more convenient and unhindered. Last year, trade turnover between China and Central Asian countries amounted to almost $90 billion. This is 27 percent more than in 2022. From January to April this year, total trade volume exceeded $28 billion, an increase of 14%.

In addition, the Ambassador emphasized that the expected launch of the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway this year will be a big breakthrough and another flagship project within the framework of the Belt and Road. This project will have significant strategic and economic significance and also contribute to strengthening regional connectivity, accelerating economic development, and modernizing countries in the region.

G. Khonnazarov, N. Khaydarov, UzA