On June 2, during the Second Uzbekistan-China Interregional Forum, formal agreements on the establishment of international friendship region/city relations were signed between Ningxia and Khorezm Region, and between Wuzhong City and Payarik District of Samarkand Region respectively, ushering in a new chapter of Ningxia-Uzbekistan cooperation. The move aims to further champion the China-Central Asia Spirit, implement the outcomes of the Eleventh China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum, and promote sustained and substantiated cooperation between the two sides.

Under the agreements, the two sides will focus on key areas such as trade and investment, modern agriculture, scientific and technological innovation, culture-tourism integration, as well as green and low-carbon development, establishing an all-encompassing, multi-tiered cooperation framework. Efforts will be made to facilitate two-way flows of competitive products, share technologies like water-saving irrigation and specialty crop cultivation, create model cooperation projects for modern agriculture, jointly promote tourism routes featuring Silk Road culture, and explore sustainable development approaches in ecological conservation and other related fields.

The signing of the agreements not only serves as a concrete step to implement the consensus reached by the heads of states of China and Uzbekistan, but also expands Ningxia’s international network, marking the transition of relations between Ningxia and Khorezm Region, as well as Wuzhong City and Payarik District, from understanding and bonding with each other to developing and sharing with each other. Leveraging the international friendship region/city relations mechanism, both sides will continue to uphold the Silk Road Spirit and strengthen cooperation across various fields, so as to inject more impetus into the China-Uzbekistan comprehensive strategic partnership and contribute Ningxia’s strength to the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.