Promoting stability

President Xi Jinping and visiting Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev pledged on Thursday that China and Uzbekistan will work together to promote all-around bilateral cooperation, and jointly contribute to regional security, stability and development.

They signed a joint statement and adopted a plan on promoting comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries between 2023 and 2027, following their talks in Xi'an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi.

Mirziyoyev, who is making a state visit to China, is in Xi'an to attend the China-Central Asia Summit.

The two leaders witnessed the signing of an array of documents on bilateral cooperation in the fields of investment, poverty alleviation, trade in farm produce, quarantine and inspection and subnational cooperation.

Xi recalled his state visit to Uzbekistan in September, when the two presidents announced the building of a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future, defining the new characterization of the bilateral ties.

He emphasized that China firmly supports Uzbekistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and supports it in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions.

Both countries should resolutely support each other and act as good friends and partners who can count on each other, Xi said.

He called for expanding economic, trade and investment cooperation, deepening mutual connectivity and boosting partnership in the fields of energy and health.

Both countries should develop anti-terrorism and anti-interference collaboration to contribute to regional security and stability, Xi said.

Noting that the summit is a new milestone in the ties between China and Central Asian countries, Xi said the nation is willing to work with Uzbekistan to promote the construction of the China-Central Asia mechanism and to build an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

Mirziyoyev assured Xi that his country firmly adheres to the one-China principle. Uzbekistan wants to learn from China's experiences in poverty relief, consistently intensify bilateral cooperation in various fields, and actively implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, he said.

Uzbekistan is willing to develop close multilateral coordination, including that within the China-Central Asia mechanism, to jointly promote regional security and development, he added.