On April 15, Ling Ji, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative, held talks with Laziz Kudratov, Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, in Tashkent. Together with Deputy Minister Ilzat Kasymov, they co-chaired the 9th meeting of the China-Uzbekistan Subcommittee on Economic and Trade Cooperation.
Ling Ji said that under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of China and Uzbekistan, bilateral economic and trade relations have continued to develop healthily, with rapid growth in bilateral trade and steady progress in industrial and supply chain cooperation. The two sides will optimize the trade structure and cultivate new business types such as cross-border e-commerce and digital trade; make good use of various investment and financing platforms to deepen cooperation in fields such as green minerals, infrastructure construction, and economic and trade parks; and promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment between China and Central Asia to foster high-quality development of regional economic cooperation. China firmly supports Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization.
The Uzbek side said that China is Uzbekistan’s largest trading partner and source of foreign investment, and that economic and trade cooperation with China is of great significance to promoting Uzbekistan’s modernization and enhancing people’s well-being. Uzbekistan stands ready to further strengthen cooperation with China in fields such as photovoltaic power generation, automobile assembly, information and communications, and the digital economy, deepen exchanges between financial institutions, and enhance local economic and trade ties. Uzbekistan will also create a favorable business environment for Chinese enterprises investing and operating in the country. The Uzbek side expressed gratitude for China’s valuable support for Uzbekistan’s application to join the WTO.
After the meeting, the two sides jointly signed the minutes of the meeting. (Released on April 16)