China moves to cement ties with Uzbekistan amid tussle with US for Central Asian influence

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for deeper cooperation with Uzbekistan in areas such as minerals and artificial intelligence as the Beijing vies with Washington for influence in Central Asia.

Li told President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Saturday that Beijing was ready to strengthen strategic communication and expand mutually beneficial cooperation with Uzbekistan.

He urged the two countries to step up cooperation in energy, minerals, finance and connectivity, and deepen collaboration in fields such as artificial intelligence and aerospace, according to state news agency Xinhua.

“In the face of a complex and turbulent international landscape, China and Uzbekistan should strengthen solidarity and cooperation and remain firmly committed to moving forward together,” he said.

Li also said China was “ready to ensure the high-quality implementation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway”, a long-delayed project that will link China and Europe through Central Asia and bypass Russia.

His two-day visit to the Uzbek capital Tashkent, which ends on Sunday, comes as Beijing seeks to cement ties with Central Asia amid its deepening rivalry with Washington.

The region – which holds a major global share of minerals that are vital for hi-tech industries such as manganese ore, titanium and cobalt – has emerged as a major geopolitical battleground.

American Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also visiting Uzbekistan this week for the annual C5+1 meeting between the United States and five Central Asian countries.

On Saturday, he said ties with the region were “important”, adding that the US wanted to “build our relationships with them”.

Sergio Gor, the US ambassador to India and special envoy for South and Central Asian affairs, told a forum in New Delhi last week that Washington wanted “to be able to compete” in the region, adding that Central Asian countries were “extremely rich in critical minerals” that remained largely untapped.

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Li also told Mirziyoyev that China was ready to work more closely with Uzbekistan on “major issues” and step up collaboration within multilateral groupings such as the China-Central Asia mechanism and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), according to Xinhua.

The report added that the Uzbek leader had said that country was willing to advance cooperation with China, adding that the relationship had entered a “golden age”.

In August, Mirziyoyev met Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan, where the Chinese leader called for a “golden decade” in the relationship between the two countries.

Li also met Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov on Saturday, when he made similar calls for closer practical cooperation and deeper political trust.

He said China was willing to import more “high-quality and speciality” products from Uzbekistan and urged the two sides to expand exchanges in culture, tourism and education.

He also said the two countries should work together to “advance an equal and orderly multipolar world”, according to Xinhua.

Aripov said Uzbekistan was ready to work with China to deepen cooperation in sectors ranging including agriculture, energy, mineral resources and artificial intelligence, the report added.

Li and Aripov also witnessed the signing of agreements covering trade, education, customs, health and poverty reduction.