Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The national anthem of Uzbekistan sings, "The gold of the valleys is my dear Uzbekistan, the whole world is enchanted by this land!" In January 2018, I had the honorary mission of serving as the Chinese Ambassador to Uzbekistan, a beautiful ancient country on the Great Silk Road. Over the past five years, I have visited all regions of Uzbekistan, met friends from various circles, and wholeheartedly devoted myself to strengthening friendship between China and Uzbekistan. The bright sun, fragrant flowers and delicious fruits, kind and hospitable people, rich and colorful culture - all this made an unforgettable impression on me.

During the five years of my tenure as ambassador, I saw with my own eyes the impressive results of reforms and openness in Uzbekistan, achieved under the leadership of President Sh. friendship and mutual assistance.

China and Uzbekistan have maintained close contacts at the highest and high levels for five years. In 2018 and 2019, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited China twice to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Qingdao and the second high-level forum on international cooperation "One Belt, One Road". In February 2022, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in China and attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. In September of the same year, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Uzbekistan and took part in the SCO summit in Samarkand. The leaders of our states signed a joint statement and reached agreements on expanding bilateral cooperation within the framework of the Community of Common Destiny Initiative. They also jointly attended almost ten international events, had many telephone conversations and exchanged messages, during which they identified priorities and outlined new guidelines for the development of bilateral relations. As an ambassador, I had the special honor to see firsthand these brightest moments in the interaction between the heads of our states. I was deeply moved by the forward thinking, good working relationship and sincere friendship between the two Leaders. In addition, close contacts are being established between governments, legislative bodies, regions, etc., which consistently contributes to the deepening of multifaceted cooperation. Under the strategic leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, China and Uzbekistan are confidently on the path to further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era.

For five years, China and Uzbekistan have achieved fruitful results in practical cooperation. Both countries are making joint efforts to build the "One Belt, One Road", which has given a positive impetus to the development and prosperity of the world and the region. Despite the effects of the pandemic, trade between the two countries has maintained an upward trend, doubling from US$4.96 billion in 2017 to almost US$10 billion in 2022. China has been the main trading partner for many years, one of the main suppliers and importers of Uzbekistan’s goods. In particular, more and more types of high-quality agricultural products of Uzbekistan enter the Chinese market and are very popular. More than 2,100 enterprises with Chinese capital are registered in Uzbekistan. Joint projects are successfully functioning and successfully implemented. At the same time, new prospects for cooperation are opening up in such areas as information and communication technologies, the construction of tourist complexes and sports facilities, renewable energy sources, the chemical industry, the agricultural cluster, etc. The throughput potential of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan automobile corridor”, the China-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan railway and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan multimodal transport corridor. Field work on the development of a feasibility study for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway has already been completed.

For five years, cultural and humanitarian exchange has been actively deepening. As they say, relations between states are built on the basis of close ties between peoples. Close contacts have been established between universities, think tanks, media, artistic circles, archaeologists, health authorities and others. Various events have been held such as education exhibitions, workshops, art festivals, fashion weeks and film days. The viewers of Uzbekistan liked Chinese films and TV series. All this significantly contributed to the spiritual rapprochement of the peoples of the two countries. More and more people in Uzbekistan have become interested in the Chinese language. Many universities in China began teaching the Uzbek language and established centers for the study of Uzbekistan. The joint work on the reconstruction and restoration of historical and cultural monuments in the Khorezm region has been successfully completed. Archaeological excavations are being actively promoted in the settlement of Mingtepa and on the ruins of the Kaunchin culture. Thanks to successful operations during the unique charity event “International Express “Light Path”, patients of Uzbekistan with cataracts again saw the light.

In the face of the coronavirus scourge, China and Uzbekistan extended a helping hand to each other, writing together an ode to the joint construction of a “Healthy Silk Road”. I will never forget that at a key moment in the fight against the infection, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev personally instructed to provide two shipments of humanitarian aid to China. The Uzbek people showed solidarity with the Chinese, providing not only material, but also moral assistance by recording a video message with support. When Uzbekistan faced an outbreak, China also provided several batches of anti-epidemic drugs in a timely manner, shared experience, and sent a team of consultants and medical experts to the regions of Uzbekistan. Vaccines and drugs against COVID-19, jointly developed by the two parties, have successfully passed clinical trials and have been put into production in Uzbekistan, serving as the main support in the anti-epidemic fight. It is gratifying that Uzbekistan has established a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens for a period of 7 and 10 days, respectively, in 2020 and 2021. China recently eased anti-covid restrictions. Such measures certainly created favorable conditions for the restoration of mutual trips of people from the two countries in the light of the new anti-epidemic reality. I am sure that in the near future such ancient cities of the Great Silk Road as Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva will attract more Chinese tourists, and more and more Uzbeks will go to China for business, study and travel.

Over the past 5 years, China and Uzbekistan have been closely interacting in international affairs. Our countries carry out close coordination within the framework of multilateral structures such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, and support each other on topical issues of the international and regional agenda. Adhering to the principle that all states - large or small, rich or poor, strong or weak - are equal members of the international community, the parties strive to achieve the democratization of international relations and protect the common interests of the developing countries of the world. With close coordination within the framework of the meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, the parties jointly promote the process of peaceful settlement and reconstruction in Afghanistan, made an important contribution to maintaining security and stability both within countries and in the region.

This year is a key year for achieving China’s development goal of the centenary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. This year has been declared the Year of Human Care and Quality Education in Uzbekistan, when the country continues to implement the New Uzbekistan development strategy. This year will also mark the tenth anniversary of the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative. I am confident that under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Sh.M. Mirziyoyev, our countries will certainly achieve great success on the path of development and revival, and seize this historic opportunity to deepen the Chinese-Uzbek comprehensive strategic partnership in a new era based on strong friendship, common interests and shared prosperity.

How quickly those five years have flown by! No matter how far we are, the same clouds hang over the green mountains, the same moon rises in different villages. Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to all the friends of Uzbekistan, who take to heart the friendly relations between our countries and helped me in fulfilling my mission! Wherever I work, I will always remember Uzbekistan warmly, constantly care for Sino-Uzbek relations, and do my best to make a contribution to further strengthening bilateral cooperation.

As the poem says “Kuyosh chikar sharqdan manga”, “Buyuk Ipak y’llarida dustlashganmiz. Manzil sari intilganda yuzlashganmiz. Olis yullar, holis dillar, suyuk halqmiz. Kuyosh chikar davlatlarmiz, buyuk Sharqmiz!” May China and Uzbekistan boldly and resolutely move forward on their path of development, and may the Chinese-Uzbek relations further strengthen and bear new fruit. May the friendship between the two peoples last forever and rise forever in our East, flooded with sun and full of hope!

An author’s article by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Uzbekistan, Ms. Jiang Yan, in connection with the completion of her diplomatic mission in Uzbekistan