Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- In the first half of 2020, bilateral trade between Uzbekistan and China amounted to US$2.875 billion, accounting for 18.1% of Uzbekistan’s foreign trade. China continues to maintain its status as the country’s largest trading partner.

Uzbekistan and China are close and friendly partners. The friendship between China and Uzbekistan has a long history. The ancient Silk Road left traces of friendly relations between the two peoples. A long history of exchanges has laid a solid foundation for the development of good-neighborly relations and cooperation between China and Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is one of the first countries to support the Belt and Road Initiative put forward by President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping.

Although the coronavirus epidemic has objectively brought complex factors to the cooperation between the two countries, the countries maintain a close relationship and have joined forces to fight the epidemic. The government and enterprises are in close coordination, frequent interaction at all levels reflects the high level of comprehensive strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and China and deep friendship between the two peoples. Thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, the socio-economic development of the two countries has returned to normal, and practical cooperation in various fields has accelerated the recovery process.

Since this year, Uzbekistan and China have maintained close ties in the fields of treatment, pharmaceuticals and public health security. In April, China sent a medical team to Uzbekistan to provide timely assistance. In June, a Chinese-Uzbek traditional medical center opened in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

It is the first institution to specialize in traditional Chinese medicine research in Central Asia. Not so long ago, Uzbekistan held negotiations with Chinese pharmaceutical companies, and both sides intend to cooperate in the field of medicine, especially in the processing and production of medicinal herbs in Uzbekistan. The joint efforts of China and Uzbekistan in the fight against the epidemic not only personify the high level of bilateral relations, but also serve as an example of solidarity and mutual assistance between countries in overcoming difficulties.

A large number of joint cooperation projects between Uzbekistan and China are being resumed. As scheduled flights have not yet resumed, more than 1,000 Chinese employees arrived in Uzbekistan on a charter flight, making every effort to ensure the smooth progress of construction and production activities on the project and to minimize the impact of the epidemic. By joint efforts of both parties, a number of Uzbek-Chinese cooperation projects have been implemented, including the construction of three office buildings of the bank’s headquarters in Tashkent, the construction of an Uzbek-Chinese complex for the production of PVC, a line for the production of 6,200 tons of cement per day in Akhangaran, construction of a new production line dry cement with an annual capacity of 2 million tons in Jizzak and the modernization of the Shargunskaya coal mine in Surkhandarya region have returned. The international transportation route Lianyungang - Lanzhou - Kashgar - Irkeshtam - Osh - Andijan is already working. All these measures helped Uzbekistan to restore the country’s economy.

Local exchanges and maintaining relations are an important part of the friendship between China and Uzbekistan. A few days ago, the leadership of the Samarkand region and the Chinese province of Henan signed an agreement on cooperation and the establishment of fraternal relations between the cities.

Also, a memorandum was signed on the creation of a comprehensive mechanism for exchange and cooperation, comprehensive exchange and cooperation between Henan province and Samarkand region. In recent years, the number of investment enterprises in Henan province in Uzbekistan has increased and their relationship has become increasingly close.

To support Samarkand in the fight against the epidemic, Henan Province has collected 50,000 medical surgical masks and 3,000 sets of protective clothing, which will soon be delivered to Uzbekistan by the Sino-European express. Currently, 93 Chinese enterprises have settled in 23 free economic zones of Samarkand.

The more clearly you comprehend and understand, the more firm your actions and practice will be, and the clearer your understanding will be. The epidemic is raging, only through unity and sincere cooperation will humanity be able to overcome it in the shortest possible time.

As the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping said in his speech at a high-level video conference on international cooperation in the framework of the Belt and Road, we must adhere to the principle of unity and cooperation, we must fight both the epidemic situation and economic recovery. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev once said that "we must act as one fist."

Facts have proved that strengthening international cooperation within the Belt and Road is an important way for all mankind to overcome the epidemic situation and restore development. According to the World Research Institute HSBC (Hong Kong-Shanghai Banking Corporation (one of the largest banking groups in the world)), the Belt and Road Initiative includes about 1,800 projects involving 40% of the world’s population. Post-epidemic, the Belt and Road Initiative, as an international, high-quality and sustainable investment and trade network, can make an important contribution to the global economic recovery.