The economic and trade forum, which started on Monday, is designed to foster bilateral business ties amid the ongoing financial crisis, officials attending the forum said.

Liu Meikun, head of China’s business delegation, said Chinese investors aimed to boost business exchanges with Uzbekistan, build an efficient trading mechanism, and broaden and enrich cooperation to better combat the financial crisis.

Yu Lixin, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese embassy in Uzbekistan, said the visit of the Chinese delegation had fully showed China’s determination to further enhance tangible bilateral cooperation.

The Chinese embassy is willing to establish connections between the two nations’ businesses to expand cooperation, Yu said.

During the forum, Uzbekistan officials also introduced the investment environment in their country, prospects of bilateral cooperation and the country’s economic and industrial zones.

More than 80 companies attended the forum and discussed cooperation on a series of projects.

China is one of Uzbekistan’s largest trade and economic partners. In 2008, trade turnover between the two states increased 43.4% compared to 2007 to US$1.3 billion. In the first half of 2009, the figure already comprised US$1.2 billion.

Almost 270 Uzbek-Chinese joint ventures operate in Uzbekistan, 44 of which were set up with 100% Chinese capital. They operate in such areas of light and textile industry, agricultural products processing, investments and trade.

Besides, 46 Chinese companies, including the leading ones, have their representative offices in Uzbekistan.