The President took part in the Uzbekistan-China investment forum

The President actively participated in the investment forum between Uzbekistan and China during his state visit, as reported by the press service. Meetings with key figures in China's business, finance, and investment sectors during his visit last year resulted in significant agreements, expanding bilateral trade and investment partnerships.

Today's forum in Shenzhen continued this dialogue, bringing together leaders and representatives from various sectors of both countries. The President highlighted the strengthening economic cooperation between the nations, emphasizing the importance of the event being held in Shenzhen, China's innovation capital.

The President expressed satisfaction with the effective negotiations held with President Xi Jinping on January 24, leading to agreements supporting the activities of business representatives from both countries. The Joint Statement elevated Uzbek-Chinese relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The President emphasized the rapid growth and scale of trade-economic and investment cooperation. Mutual trade doubled, reaching a record $14 billion in 2023, with plans to increase it to $20 billion through new agreements. China's total investment in Uzbekistan surpassed $14 billion, and the number of Chinese-invested enterprises tripled.

The President appreciated the recent investment agreements and expressed readiness to host the next forum in Uzbekistan, aiming to give a systematic tone to the business platform. Structural changes in Uzbekistan's economy, including liberalization and market mechanisms, were highlighted, along with efforts to support high-tech industrial projects.

Priority areas for future cooperation were outlined, such as expanding partnerships, attracting funds from Chinese financial institutions, developing industrial cooperation, promoting "green" energy, and involving Chinese technologies in agriculture. Agreements were reached on expanding the investment project portfolio and infrastructure development.

The involvement of leading Chinese banks in project financing and the establishment of an Export-Import Bank representative office were emphasized. Each Chinese partner now has an assigned investment manager for project support. The Secretary of the Party Committee of Guangdong Province expressed full support for Uzbekistan's reforms, encouraging Chinese businesses to actively participate in mutually beneficial projects.

At the forum's conclusion, numerous documents were signed for projects spanning energy, oil and gas, mining, electrical engineering, light industry, machine building, infrastructure development, agriculture, education, transport, and logistics. The President proposed organizing the Guangdong investment forum annually, suggesting the next meeting be held in Samarkand next year.