"Never before have we had such a profound and full-fledged partnership," says Sodiq Safoyev, Uzbekistan's first deputy Senate chairman, adding that mutual trust and close communication between the two countries' leaders are driving closer ties. China is now Uzbekistan's largest economic partner, with bilateral trade surpassing $16 billion and more than 6,000 Chinese companies operating in the country, contributing to Uzbekistan's economic modernization.