China to strengthen partnership with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday pledged closer ties with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as he met respectively with the three foreign ministers on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers' meeting in Beijing.

China and Tajikistan will strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership and work together toward a community with a shared future for mankind. Wang made the remarks when meeting with his counterpart from Tajikistan, Aslov Sirodjidin Muhridinovich, on Tuesday morning.

Aslov said that Tajikistan put deepening relations with China as a diplomatic priority and will increase cooperation in various fields by joining the Belt and Road Initiative.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Tajikistan's Foreign Minister Aslov Sirodjidin Muhridinovich in Beijing, April 24, 2018. /Chinese Foreign Ministry Photo

In a meeting with Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, Wang said China and Uzbekistan have increasingly deepened mutual political trust and pragmatic cooperation since the establishment of a comprehensive bilateral strategic partnership, adding that China is willing to further promote cooperation with Uzbekistan under the Belt and Road Initiative to achieve win-win cooperation and common development.

Kamilov noted Uzbekistan considers ties with China to be the country's diplomatic priority and will continue to enhance bilateral exchanges in governance, deepen cooperation in all areas and work together with China to deal with the changes in the international and regional situation and push forward the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov in Beijing, April 24, 2018. /Chinese Foreign Ministry Photo

Wang also shared thoughts with Erlan Abdyldayev, the foreign minister of Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

China and Kazakhstan have remained comprehensive strategic partners throughout the years, Wang noted, adding that the relationship between the two sides has set an example for neighboring countries. Both countries will continue to firmly support each other's core values, while deepening exchanges and cooperation in economics, resources, infrastructure and many other areas.

Abdyldayev agreed, pointing out that Kazakhstan would like to work closely with China under the Belt and Road Initiative and continue to push the ties of the two countries a step further.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Erlan Abdyldayev, the foreign minister of Kazakhstan in Beijing, April 24, 2018. /Chinese Foreign Ministry Photo

This is the first foreign ministers' council meeting since SCO's expansion last year. The ministers discussed deepening ties among member countries to pave way for the SCO summit to be held in east China's Qingdao City in June.

The Shanghai Five were China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

The organization saw its first expansion in 16 years in June 2017, when India and Pakistan joined the group. With this latest accession, the SCO now covers three-fifths of Eurasia, and nearly half the world's population.

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