Xi holds meetings with presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan
A car runs on the road in Samarkand. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
Editor's note: President Xi Jinping held a series of bilateral talks on Thursday on the sidelines of the 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of State.
Kyrgyzstan
When meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov on Thursday, President Xi Jinping said China firmly supports Kyrgyzstan in independently choosing its own development path and safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty and security.
China opposes interference in Kyrgyzstan's internal affairs by any external force under any pretext, Xi said, noting that China has been, is and will always be a trustworthy and reliable friend and partner of the Central Asian nation.
He called on the two sides to step up firm support for each other and comprehensively deepen mutually beneficial cooperation under the new circumstances.
China and Kyrgyzstan should continue to further synergize their development strategies and implement the medium- and long-term plan for bilateral economic and trade cooperation, Xi said, adding that China supports the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project and is willing to push for an early start to the project's construction.
China will also support more Chinese enterprises to invest in Kyrgyzstan and facilitate exchanges of personnel and customs clearance of goods between the two countries, he said.
Xi said that China stands ready to enhance coordination with Kyrgyzstan, build up the China+Central Asia meeting mechanism, implement the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, resolutely uphold international fairness and justice, and protect the common interests of developing countries.
Zhaparov said his country firmly adheres to the one-China principle and firmly believes that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, expressing firm support for China's positions on affairs concerning its core interests, including those related to Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong.
Kyrgyzstan is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in such areas as the economy and trade, railways, pandemic response and security, he said.
Turkmenistan
When meeting with Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, President Xi Jinping said their countries' bilateral ties have maintained healthy, stable development over the past 30 years, and the bilateral strategic partnership has reached a high level.
China respects Turkmenistan's independent choice of a development path that suits its own national conditions, he said, adding that China opposes any external forces interfering in Turkmenistan's domestic affairs.
Xi called on the two nations to boost the quantity and scale of their bilateral cooperation on natural gas, accelerate progress in nonresource areas, and advance the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative with Turkmenistan's strategy to revive the Great Silk Road.
Xi also called for the mutual establishment of cultural centers at an early date in either country to boost cultural exchanges, the establishment of a Luban Workshop in Turkmenistan－part of a program aiming to promote vocational education exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries and regions－and reinforcement of the joint fight against the novel coronavirus.
China is ready to boost cooperation with Turkmenistan within the China+Central Asia framework, implement the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, boost collaboration on the global stage and champion the common interests of developing countries, he added.
The Turkmen president expressed his wish for the success of the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. He said his country is ready to deepen mutually beneficial collaboration in areas such as the economy, trade, natural gas, cross-border transportation and culture.
Turkmenistan staunchly supports China in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and it supports the series of major initiatives proposed by China, which are helpful for securing international peace and security and realizing the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, he said.
Tajikistan
When meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, President Xi Jinping said their countries' bilateral ties have achieved significant development over the past 30 years.
China staunchly supports Tajikistan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty and security, and China is always a trustworthy and reliable neighbor, friend and partner of Tajikistan, Xi said.
China is ready to boost pragmatic cooperation with Tajikistan, expand imports of high-quality Tajik agricultural products, and increase the scale and level of bilateral trade, Xi said.
In addition, Beijing is ready to press ahead with cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, water resources and transportation, explore collaboration in areas such as green technology, digital economy and artificial intelligence, and help Tajikistan bolster its capacity in handling cross-border shipments, he added.
China is willing to work with Tajikistan to deepen anti-terrorism cooperation and jointly maintain regional peace and tranquillity, Xi said.
The Tajik president noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the two countries' establishment of diplomatic relations.
Tajikistan unswervingly upholds the one-China principle, believes that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and will further its staunch support for China's positions on affairs concerning its core interests, he said.
China is not only a good friend but also a key strategic partner of Tajikistan, and the country is willing to boost high-level exchanges, learn from China's experiences in development and reinforce collaboration in areas such as the economy, trade, agriculture, transportation, production capacity and green economy in order to take the ties to a new level, he said.
The two sides exchanged views on the Afghanistan situation and signed cooperative documents in areas such as the digital economy, green development and transportation.