China and Turkmenistan vowed on Friday to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation across the board, further exchanges between legislative bodies and enhance strategic communications between the two militaries, when the two Asian countries marked the 31st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

China is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with Turkmenistan, better synergize development strategies, and deepen comprehensive and mutually beneficial cooperation to advance bilateral ties, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said during a meeting with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in Beijing.

Berdimuhamedov said Turkmenistan is willing to further enhance cooperation with China in politics, economy and trade, energy, people-to-people exchanges and other fields, to further advance the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, and better realize win-win results in cooperation.

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China and Turkmenistan lifts ties to comprehensive strategic partnership

Energy cooperation: a pillar

Noting that energy cooperation is a major pillar of pragmatic cooperation between the two sides, Li said China is ready to facilitate relevant work, including the construction of the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline, with Turkmenistan to better realize win-win results.

He said it is hoped that Turkmenistan will ensure stable gas supplies to China in accordance with the deals inked on the basis of consensus between the two sides.

The premier said that China encourages more Chinese enterprises to invest and develop businesses in Turkmenistan, and hopes the Turkmen side will help create a sound business environment.

Turkmenistan is one of the biggest suppliers of natural gas to China and a key country in the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline project. By June 2022, the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline had delivered more than 400 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China over the last 12-plus years, according to PipeChina West Pipeline Company.

More exchanges between legislative bodies

The National People's Congress (NPC) of China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the Turkmen legislature to promote bilateral cooperation to a deeper and higher level, China's top legislator Li Zhanshu told Berdimuhamedov in a meeting in Beijing.

Noting that China-Turkmenistan relations have achieved steady and rapid development in recent years, Li, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, bilateral relations will achieve greater development for the benefit of the two peoples.

Berdimuhamedov said Turkmenistan is firmly committed to deepening cooperation with China in various fields, deepening exchanges between legislative bodies, constantly strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership with China, safeguarding common interests, and jointly promoting global and regional peace and development.

Military-to-military strategic communications

The establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Turkmenistan marked a new era of China-Turkmenistan relations, said Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on Friday when he met with Turkmen Defense Minister Begench Gundogdyev in Beijing.

China is ready to work with Turkmenistan to continue enhancing strategic communications between the two militaries, deepen and expand pragmatic cooperation, and jointly build an even closer China-Turkmenistan community with a shared future, Wei said.

For his part, Gundogdyev said Turkmenistan is willing to strengthen friendly exchanges and deepen cooperation in defense and security with China, and safeguard the two countries' common interests and regional peace and development.

(With input from Xinhua)