THE HISTORY OF COOPERATION BETWEEN UZBEKISTAN AND THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Аннотация

This article analyzes the historical development of political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the People’s Republic of China. It presents an overview of the cooperation process from the establishment of diplomatic relations to the present day, highlighting high-level visits, collaboration within international organizations, and joint investment projects. Special attention is given to projects within the framework of the “Belt and Road Initiative,” as well as cooperation prospects in transport, energy, and industrial sectors. Keywords:Uzbekistan, People’s Republic of China, diplomatic relations, strategic partnership, Belt and Road Initiative, investment, trade, energy, transport, SCO, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Xi Jinping. Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the People’s Republic of China were established on January 2, 1992. Since then, relations between the two countries havesteadily developed and reached thelevel ofstrategic partnership. While bilateral cooperation in thelate 1990s was mainly limited to economic and political dialogue, since the 2000s it has expanded significantly into fields such as energy, transportation, infrastructure, science and technology, military-technical cooperation, and culture. China has become one of Uzbekistan’s main foreign trade partners. The number of joint industrial enterprises, investment projects, and collaborations in high-tech sectors has grown. The proposed China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway project plays an important role in regional logistics. Within the framework of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, Uzbekistan has actively participated in implementing joint projects in transportation and infrastructure. Major projects include the Angren–Pop railway line, the Kamchik tunnel,and logistics centers. Cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and both countries’ shared approaches to regional security and counterterrorism, have further strengthened bilateral relations. High-level meetings between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President Xi Jinping have elevated bilateral relations to a new stage. Since 2017, numerous trade and investment agreements worth billionsofdollars have been signed during official visits1. The First President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, once stated: “We want to establish good and equal relations with China. We aim to achieve harmony with our great neighbor. We are willing to study and adopt its valuable experience. A new chapter has been opened in the history of our mutual relations with China. A solid foundation has been laid for furtherdeveloping mutuallybeneficial tieswith this great country.”.2 1ЎзМА,Ф-М37,1-рўйҳат,6454-йиғмажилд, Б.62. 2Каримов И.А. Ўзбекистоннинг ўз истиқлол ва тараққиёт йўли. Т.: “Ўзбекистон”, 1992. Б.165. page1877 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ISSN:2692-5206,ImpactFactor:12,23 AmericanAcademicpublishers,volume05,issue06,2025 Journal: https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai In November 1998, at the invitation of the Ministry of Education of China, a delegation from the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of Uzbekistan paid an official visit toChina. In 1999,an agreement was signed between theTashkent StateInstituteof Oriental Studies and Tianjin Polytechnic University of China to establish a joint educational venture. The “Chinese Language Center” is successfully operating at the Uzbek State World Languages University, playing an important role in promoting Chinese language studies in Uzbekistan. In 1998, a cooperation agreement was also signed between Tashkent State Technical University and Beijing University of Science and Technology of China. Under this agreement, faculty exchanges, postgraduate training, and joint scientific research programs havebeen established3. The fifth session of the Uzbekistan–China Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, held on February 13, 2003, played a significant role in expanding trade and economic relations between the two countries. During the session, negotiations were held regarding the sale of IL-76 military transport aircraft manufactured in Beijing in February 2003. TheChinese sidealso expressed itsinterest in cooperating in the fields of gas and oil extraction, indicatinga willingness to strengthen partnershipin theenergy sector4. During his official visit to the People’s Republic of China in 2005, the First President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, stated: “Uzbekistan–China relations have entered a new stage of development, and the Interstate Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership signed during this visit serves as a solid foundation for advancing strategic partnership relations.”5 To date, Uzbekistan–China relations have developed rapidly and reached a high stage of advancement. At the invitation of President Xi