9th China-Uzbekistan Trade and Economic Cooperation Subcommittee Meeting Held in Tashkent

On April 15, Ling Ji, Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Commerce and Deputy Representative for International Trade Negotiations, held talks in Tashkent with Khudayberdiy Kulmatov, Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, and co-chaired the ninth meeting of the Sub-Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Uzbekistan with Uzbek Deputy Minister Kasimov. Both sides reviewed the sustained and sound development of bilateral economic and trade relations under the strategic guidance of their heads of state, noting rapid growth in bilateral trade and steady progress in cooperation along industrial and supply chains. The Chinese side stated its intention to optimize trade structures and foster new business models such as cross-border e-commerce and digital trade; deepen cooperation in areas including green mining, infrastructure development, and economic and trade cooperation zones through financing and investment platforms; advance trade and investment liberalization and facilitation between China and Central Asia; promote high-quality regional economic cooperation; and reaffirmed its firm support for Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Uzbek side emphasized that China is its largest trading partner and source of foreign investment, and that economic and trade cooperation with China plays a vital role in its modernization and improvement of people's livelihoods. Uzbekistan expressed its willingness to strengthen collaboration in photovoltaic power generation, automobile assembly, information and communications technology, and the digital economy; enhance exchanges between financial institutions; intensify sub-national economic and trade ties; create a favorable business environment for Chinese companies investing in Uzbekistan; and thanked China for its support regarding Uzbekistan’s WTO accession. Following the meeting, both sides signed the minutes of the meeting.