Uzbek President Mirziyoyev Meets with Wang Yi

On November 21, 2025, a high-level meeting attracting international attention was held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, who was visiting Uzbekistan at the invitation of the Chinese government. This meeting was not only an important part of diplomatic interactions between China and Uzbekistan, but also a key step in deepening strategic cooperation between the two sides against the backdrop of profound changes in the regional and international situation. The talks covered multiple areas, including bilateral relations, pragmatic cooperation, and global governance, sending a clear signal that China-Uzbekistan relations will continue to deepen and that the prospects for cooperation are broad.

I. High-Level Interaction Guides Bilateral Relations Steadily Forward

During the talks, President Mirziyoyev first asked Wang Yi to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping and highly praised China's recent achievements in domestic and foreign affairs. He warmly congratulated the successful convening of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and expressed his belief that all tasks outlined in the 15th Five-Year Plan would be successfully achieved on schedule. This statement not only reflects Uzbekistan's recognition of China's development path but also highlights the commonality in the two countries' governing philosophies. Mirziyoyev emphasized that cooperation between Uzbekistan and China in various fields has "achieved breakthrough progress, and the development of bilateral relations will not be affected by any external factors," highlighting Uzbekistan's strategic resolve in cooperating with China.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi conveyed President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to President Mirziyoyev, noting that "under the guidance of the two heads of state, China-Uzbekistan relations have continuously reached new heights, and bilateral cooperation has yielded fruitful results." China "firmly supports Uzbekistan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and firmly supports the various reform and development measures taken by President Mirziyoyev to promote greater achievements in building a 'New Uzbekistan'," demonstrating China's respect for and support of Uzbekistan's independent development path. The foundation of mutual trust demonstrated in the high-level interactions between the two sides laid the groundwork for subsequent cooperation topics.

II. Pragmatic Cooperation Focuses on Connectivity and Sustainable Development

During the talks, President Mirziyoyev clearly outlined Uzbekistan's priority areas for cooperation, including "advancing the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, strengthening investment, high technology, connectivity, agriculture, green energy, poverty reduction, cultural exchanges, and inter-regional cooperation." The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, as a key project for Eurasian connectivity, is considered a milestone in establishing the China-Central Asia transportation corridor, and its progress will have a profound impact on regional economic integration. Wang Yi responded that China and Uzbekistan should "accelerate the alignment of development strategies, advance the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, create visible cooperation results in more fields, form new growth points for cooperation, achieve $20 billion in trade as soon as possible, and move towards even greater goals." Achieving this goal would significantly enhance the economic integration of the two countries.

Poverty reduction cooperation became a highlight of the talks. Wang Yi pointed out that "Uzbekistan has achieved remarkable results in poverty reduction, and I believe that the goal set by President Mirziyoyev to eliminate absolute poverty by 2030 can be achieved on schedule," and pledged that "China is willing to continue sharing its experience to assist Uzbekistan's poverty reduction efforts." This move reflects China's cooperative model of empowering partner countries with its own development experience and echoes the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Furthermore, both sides agreed to "accelerate the establishment of cultural centers in each other's countries, deepen local exchanges and cooperation, and establish more sister-province/city/state relations," thus solidifying public opinion through people-to-people ties.

III. Multilateral Cooperation to Promote Regional and Global Governance

The global perspective of this meeting was reflected in the coordination between the two sides on multilateral mechanisms and international issues. President Mirziyoyev stated that President Xi Jinping's four global initiatives and the Belt and Road Initiative "have significant contemporary significance, and Uzbekistan is willing to work with China to implement them." He particularly emphasized that "China is playing an increasingly important leading role in promoting world peace and development," an assessment that aligns with China's rising role in global governance in recent years. Wang Yi praised "President Mirziyoyev's immediate support for President Xi Jinping's global governance initiatives" and called on both sides to "implement the four global initiatives and uphold the international system with the UN at its core."

On regional affairs, both sides agreed to "strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and on the Afghan issue, optimize and strengthen the China-Central Asia mechanism, and jointly build a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future." Wang Yi also invited Uzbekistan to participate in innovative practices in global governance: "We welcome Uzbekistan's participation in the preparation for becoming a founding member of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, and we look forward to Uzbekistan joining the International Court of Mediation as soon as possible, making new 'China-Uzbekistan contributions' to building a more just and reasonable global governance system and promoting world peace and development." These initiatives demonstrate that China-Uzbekistan cooperation has transcended the bilateral scope and expanded into high-level governance areas such as rule-making and crisis mediation.

IV. Strategic Positioning Demonstrates Resilience and Development Potential

Uzbekistan explicitly reiterated its "firm adherence to the one-China principle" and pledged its "willingness to advance lasting friendship with China, resolutely combat the 'three evil forces,' and be reliable friends and partners." This stance is particularly important in the context of today's complex international geopolitical landscape, helping to resist external interference. Wang Yi summarized the characteristics of China-Uzbekistan relations as follows: "China and Uzbekistan share compatible development strategies, similar governing philosophies, and highly complementary economies. They are sincere friends who support each other and close partners in development."

From a global perspective, China-Uzbekistan cooperation has threefold significance:

First, as a key fulcrum of China-Central Asia cooperation, Uzbekistan's stability and development directly impact regional security and economic integration.

Second, China-Uzbekistan infrastructure and energy cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative provides a paradigm for landlocked Eurasian countries to integrate into the global market.

Third, mutual learning of experiences in areas such as poverty reduction and green technologies provides a reference for countries in the Global South to explore sustainable development paths.

Conclusion

The Tashkent Summit on November 21, 2025, is both a microcosm of the high-level development of China-Uzbekistan relations and a declaration of cooperation for the future. Through high-level strategic guidance, pragmatic project alignment, and multilateral platform collaboration, China and Uzbekistan are gradually building a resilient, deep, and broad partnership. As Wang Yi stated, the "15th Five-Year Plan" recommendations adopted by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee "not only provide a top-level design for China's economic and social development over the next five years, but also bring new opportunities for cooperation between the two countries and global development." In an international environment fraught with uncertainty and challenges, the interactive model of China and Uzbekistan promoting development through cooperation and responding to challenges through solidarity undoubtedly injects stability into regional and even global governance.