Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan hold a welcoming ceremony for President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his wife Ziroatkhon Mirziyoyeva in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to the talks between Xi and Mirziyoyev in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Mirziyoyev, who is in China for a state visit, in Beijing on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, held talks in Beijing on Wednesday, announcing to elevate bilateral ties to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era, and promote the construction of a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future from a higher starting point.

President Mirziyoyev is in China for a state visit.

Xi noted that 32 years ago, Uzbekistan was the first Central Asian country to establish diplomatic ties with China. The two peoples have carried forward the spirit of the Silk Road, and the China-Uzbekistan friendship is deeply rooted and vibrant, he said.

“In particular, over the past seven years and more, we have worked together to lead bilateral cooperation in various fields to a sound, thriving situation,” Xi said, stressing that building a more meaningful and dynamic China-Uzbekistan relationship is the shared aspiration of the two peoples.

Emphasizing that the two sides have always treated each other with sincerity and mutual trust, Xi said the two countries should support each other even more steadfastly in the face of the current complex international situation.

China firmly supports Uzbekistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and in choosing its own development path, Xi said, calling for a better role of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee and other platforms in strengthening strategic communication and comprehensively deepening strategic mutual trust.