Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, October 25, 2023. Photo: Xinhua

China is willing to continue to enhance political mutual trust with Kyrgyzstan, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, seek more convergence points of common interests for mutual achievement and common development, and make new achievements in various fields by the cooperation of both sides, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said when meeting with Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov of the Kyrgyz Republic in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday local time.

According to Li, China-Kyrgyzstan relations have maintained a high-level development in recent years. In May this year, the two heads of state drew a new blueprint for the development of China-Kyrgyzstan relations and outlined new tasks for promoting bilateral cooperation, Xinhua News Agency reported.

China is willing to work with Kyrgyzstan to translate the important consensus reached by the two heads of state into concrete actions, push for new achievements in bilateral cooperation in various fields, and continuously improve the well-being of the two peoples, Li added.

The Chinese premier said both sides should implement their medium- and long-term economic cooperation and trade exchange plan, and expand the trade scale and optimize their trade structure.

China and Kyrgyzstan should speed up the construction of key projects such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway as well as port cooperation to enhance interconnectivity, Li said.

The two countries should also expand cooperation in emerging industries such as advanced manufacturing, digital economy, new energy vehicles, smart agriculture, and clean energy to foster new growth drivers, Li said.

The two sides should also deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges in areas including medical care, education, and tourism to promote connectivity between the two peoples, he added.

Li said that China stands ready to strengthen multilateral coordination and cooperation with Kyrgyzstan, implement the outcomes of the China-Central Asia Summit, promote the building of a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future, carry forward the Shanghai Spirit under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to inject more certainty and positive energy into regional stable development and contribute to world peace, security and development.

Japarov said that bilateral relations achieved a great progress this year, with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov's successful state visit to China and the announcement by the two heads of state to elevate China-Kyrgyzstan relations to a new era of comprehensive strategic partnership, the highest level in bilateral relations in history.

Kyrgyzstan firmly supports China on the Taiwan question, issues of Xinjiang, Xizang, and Hong Kong, and other core interests of China, Japarov said, stressing that Kyrgyzstan is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthen connectivity, push forward the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, and further expand cooperation in economic and trade, tourism, education, culture, and other fields.

Japarov said Kyrgyzstan supports the major initiatives proposed by China, such as the Global Security Initiative, and that Kyrgyzstan is willing to work together with China to combat the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism and organized cross-border crimes, deepen cooperation between Central Asia and China, and collaborate to promote regional prosperity and stability.

After the talks, the Chinese premier and the Kyrgyz prime minister jointly witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation agreements in areas such as cooperation in adjacent regions, digital economy, local friendship and infrastructure.

Global Times