POLICY
During his state visit to the People’s Republic of China, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov on August 20 met with Premier of the PRC Li Keqiang.
It was noted during the meeting that the current visit by President Islam Karimov will facilitate the further consolidation and development of cooperation between our two countries and afford a new impetus to the steadfast enhancement of strategic partnership relations.
The President of Uzbekistan stressed that during the talks in Beijing the two sides signed more than twenty documents concerning projects for a total sum of 5.2 billion US dollars, along with trade agreements for 800 million dollars. Thus the value of deals reached 6 billion dollars.
Li Keqiang offered a high appraisal of the outcomes of the visit and pointed out that Uzbekistan has been rigidly adhering to the path it had opted for, making colossal achievements in the process of its advancement. China is willing to keep with developing cooperation with Uzbekistan on the basis of principles of mutual confidence, respect and reciprocal interest, as well as those of strategic partnership.
At the meeting it was underscored in particular that both Uzbekistan and China wield a tremendous potential for a steady expansion of mutually advantageous cooperation, and that the present state visit of President Islam Karimov opens up new opportunities for this.
The two sides exchanged views on issues pertaining to the realization of agreements reached at the highest level, the comprehensive development and consolidation of cooperation in trade-economic, investment, cultural-humanitarian areas.
Later the day, President Islam Karimov traveled to the ancient city of Xi’an in the Shaanxi Province.
The history of this town in the heart of China dates back to more than 3,000 years. According to some data, some time in its history Xi’an was the biggest city, in terms of population, not only in China, but also in the whole world. During the reign of 13 imperial dynasties, it used to be the capital of the country.
There are numerous ancient graveyards in the outskirts of the city that used to be one of important crossroads of the Great Silk Road. Notably, it is here that the complex of burial of the Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi with his terracotta army was discovered.
The introduction of President Islam Karimov to the antique monuments of Xi’an started from the museum of terracotta army. More than eight thousand soldiers in full combat attire, as well as warfare chariots, made of baked clay reproduce the mighty army of those times. They were discovered in 1974 during excavations in the surroundings of the graveyard of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi who united the country in 221 BC. The terracotta army was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.
The head of our state left a note in the Book of Honorable Guests of the museum.
President Islam Karimov reviewed the ancient city walls of Xi’an.
On the square by the main eastern gates of the walls, a ceremony took place, which is organized for exclusively the most revered and dearest guests of the city – the official handing of a symbolic key from Xi’an to the leader of Uzbekistan.
The wall constituting a powerful defense facility engirdling the historic part of the city was built during the reign of the Ming Dynasty in 15-17th centuries. The wall used to be surrounded by deep ditches with water. Bridges over them used to be flipped from several fortresses, and all this served as a reliable defense of the city.
It is noteworthy that the height of the wall is 15 meters on average, and it is 12 meters in width. All types of vehicles of those times, including heavy military ordnance and combat units, used to be driven on it.
President Islam Karimov said that Xi’an is by right one of the most attractive cities of China owing to not only its inimitable historic monuments, but also it mounting economic might.
During his trip to Xi’an, the head of our state met with Shaanxi Province Party Committee Secretary – Chairman of the Congress of People’s Representatives Zhao Zhengyuong and Governor of the Province Lou Qinjan.
It was especially stressed that the state visit of President Islam Karimov to China proves fruitful. The conversation participants exchanged views on issues related to the enlargement of direct contacts between administrative-territorial entities of Uzbekistan and the PRC, Samarkand and Xi’an in particular.
It is worth noting that the idea of establishing sister relations between Samarkand and Xi’an was voiced during the state visit of the PRC President Xi Jinping to Uzbekistan in September 2013.
Between the consolidation of ties of the native city of the President of China Xi Jinping with the ancient city of Samarkand and the trip to Xi’an by the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, there is a deep symbolic meaning. Mutual confidence and respect between the two heads of state are the foundation for a dynamic development of cooperation of the two countries and serve for the further enhancement of bonds between our two peoples.
The state visit of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov to the People’s Republic of China, thanks to its political and economic upshots, and as a high embodiment of human relations, will take an important place in the history of cooperation between our two nations and raise it to a qualitatively new level.
Press-service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan