On June 1–2, the Second Uzbekistan–China Interregional Forum was held in Samarkand, strengthening the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and China, enhance interregional cooperation, and expand investment and business ties.
The forum brought together more than 2,800 representatives from the business communities, government bodies, regional administrations, as well as academic and educational institutions of both countries.
The Uzbek delegation was headed by Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev. Also participating in the event was Ilzat Kasimov, Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade.
In his opening remarks, Khodjaev emphasized that China is currently Uzbekistan’s largest trade and investment partner. Over the past five years, bilateral trade volume has doubled, reaching $13 billion by the end of 2024. The volume of direct Chinese investment in Uzbekistan has increased fivefold compared to 2017, while the number of joint ventures has tripled, surpassing 3,700.
Uzbekistan and China are successfully implementing joint projects in energy, chemical production, mechanical engineering, textiles, construction materials, home appliances, and agriculture.
“The current challenging global economic environment presents new opportunities for even deeper cooperation,” Khodjaev said, expressing confidence that the forum and the joint exhibition held as part of the event would serve as effective platforms for launching new large-scale projects.
Particular attention was given to the implementation of the strategically important China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway project, which is expected to strengthen Uzbekistan’s role as a regional logistics hub.
On June 1, a series of bilateral meetings took place with officials from several Chinese provinces, including Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui, as well as Shandong, Heilongjiang, and Gansu. The discussions focused on expanding interregional cooperation and implementing investment projects.
Several agreements were signed during the forum. The event marked a significant step toward deepening comprehensive partnerships between the regions of Uzbekistan and the provinces of China, once again demonstrating strong interest and confidence in long-term cooperation.
