Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The history of relations between Uzbekistan and China goes back thousands of years. Already two thousand years ago, the two peoples established close ties and actively exchanged cultural values and goods, forming the spirit of the Great Silk Road. This transcontinental route has become a symbol of friendship between the two countries, strengthening cooperation and cultural exchange between their people.

In ancient times, caravans departed from China carrying a wide range of goods, including metals (iron, nickel, gold, silver), mirrors, various handicrafts, as well as valuable silk fabrics and raw materials for their production. In the opposite direction, rare animals, birds, plants, spices, colored glass, jewelry made of precious stones and other luxury items were supplied. In addition, China at this time actively adapted and introduced new plants into its culture, such as grapes, beans, alfalfa, saffron, as well as various types of fruit and nut trees brought from Central Asia.

In parallel with trade and cultural ties, diplomatic relations between the parties also developed. Ambassadorial relations between the Han Empire and the states of Davan, Kangyu and Yueji in the 2nd-1st centuries BC are known. e., set forth by Sima Qian in “Shi Ji” (“Historical Notes”).

Diplomatic relations continued into the early Middle Ages. Thus, China actively interacted with the Hephthalite state, which controlled key trade routes leading to Iran and Byzantium. According to the “History of the Tang Dynasty,” a delegation of ambassadors and traders from Bukhara arrived in the capital of the state, Chang’an, presenting various Central Asian goods to the Chinese court.

During the reign of Amir Temur and the Temurids, bilateral relations reached significant heights. According to Chinese sources, in the period between 1368-1398, embassies from Amir Temur arrived in China nine times; from 1403 to 1449, 33 embassy missions were sent to China from Samarkand and 14 from Herat.

Our compatriots occupied high positions and posts, and also contributed to the development of scientific thought in China, including: Umar Kamaliddin - the governor of Yunnan Province, Jamaliddin Bukhari - presented Kublai with a calendar called in Chinese sources “Calendar of 10 thousand years”, etc.

This good tradition was continued during the period when Uzbekistan gained state independence. China was one of the first to recognize the sovereignty of our country, establishing diplomatic relations with Uzbekistan on 2 January 1992.

Currently, Uzbek-Chinese cooperation has crossed the 30-year mark, entering a new era of friendship and cooperation. An all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era covers all areas of bilateral interaction: from political and trade and economic to cultural and educational.

The unprecedented rise in bilateral ties was largely facilitated by the warm and trusting relations between Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Xi Jinping.

With all the diversity of bilateral ties, the Heads of State give priority to the development of relations in the cultural and humanitarian sphere. A striking symbol of these relations is a series of events, including, among other things, the Uzbek-Chinese educational forum on cooperation of one hundred universities, days of promoting tourism and Uzbek culture, a forum on poverty alleviation, as well as the launch of a pilot project to introduce the Chinese vocational education system in Uzbekistan - "Lu Ban Workshop."

In recent years, young people in Uzbekistan have shown great interest in learning the Chinese language, and the Chinese have shown great interest in learning Uzbek. In Uzbekistan, the spread of the Chinese language is facilitated by the Confucius Institutes opened in Tashkent and Samarkand. In turn, in China, the Uzbek language has been introduced into the curricula of the Central University of Nationalities, Beijing Foreign Studies University and Shanghai University of International Studies.

In the development of Uzbek-Chinese cultural and humanitarian ties, a special place is given to the practice of holding mutual cultural days. Thus, during Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s January visit to the PRC and meeting with Xi Jinping, it was proposed to hold the first joint Youth Innovation Forum.

In addition, the parties signed a number of agreements and documents promoting even greater cooperation between research institutions, ministries of higher education, ministries and departments for the development of tourism and cultural industries.

Thus, the Leaders of Uzbekistan and China continue the thousand-year tradition of Uzbek-Chinese friendly relations, comprehensively strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, filling the all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership with new promising content.

Azer Adygezalov, chief researcher at the International Institute of Central Asia, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in historical sciences.