HUANGPU SHANGHAI

On August 16, Ma Xingrui, Party chief of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and Erkin Tuniyaz, chairman of the Xinjiang regional government, met with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov who was visiting Xinjiang to attend the 2023 (China) Eurasia Commodity and Trade Expo (EACT Expo). They engaged in extensive discussions to enhance bilateral cooperation between Xinjiang and Kyrgyzstan in various sectors, resulting in the signing of several cooperative agreements.

Ma said that in recent years, cooperation between Xinjiang and Kyrgyzstan has been expanded and has vast potential. Xinjiang is willing to work together with Kyrgyzstan to deepen comprehensive and multidimensional exchanges and cooperation, strengthen people-to-people exchanges at all levels and among various departments, establish an energy cooperation mechanism, deepen cooperation in such fields as electricity, coal, transportation, agriculture, e-commerce, productive capacity, and green development, and encourage companies to expand bilateral investments.

Xinjiang aims to improve cross-border logistics and advance the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan rail link. More efforts will be made to cooperate in such areas as education, healthcare, cultural tourism, and in the preservation of cultural heritage, as well as to expand cooperation between sister cities, so as to contribute to the development of bilateral relations and further benefit both peoples.

Japarov extended his best wishes for the success of the 2023 EACT Expo and noted that Kyrgyzstan was one of the earliest participants of the Belt and Road Initiative. The country has always attached great importance to cooperation with Xinjiang, which serves as an important gateway for China-Kyrgyzstan economic and trade exchanges.

He hoped that both sides would further strengthen communication and collaboration, make new achievements in the development of friendly relations and economic and trade cooperation, and jointly contribute to the construction of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

Japarov provided pragmatic suggestions on further enhancing Kyrgyzstan's cooperation with Xinjiang in areas including infrastructure construction at ports, bilateral trade, energy development, e-commerce, and higher education. He also encouraged Xinjiang enterprises to invest and establish businesses in Kyrgyzstan, reassuring them of the country's commitment to protecting investors' interests and creating favorable conditions for bilateral cooperation.

A memorandum of cooperation and several agreements were signed between the two sides during the meeting.