International: Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Harmony Palace in Bishkek on the morning of August 31, Kyrgyzstan time.

The autumn sky over Bishkek was clear and pleasant. When President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, arrived at the Harmony Palace by car, President Japarov and his wife, Aigul Japarova, warmly welcomed them.

President Japarov held a welcoming ceremony for Xi Jinping. Xi Jinping joined Japarov on the reviewing stand. A military band performed the national anthems of China and Kyrgyzstan. The two heads of state inspected the guard of honor. Xi Jinping walked to the middle of the guard of honor and greeted the guards in the Kyrgyz language. The guards responded, “Advance! Advance!” The two heads of state then shook hands with the members of their respective delegations and reviewed the parade. Afterwards, the two heads of state and their wives entered the main section of the Harmony Palace and posed for a joint photograph in front of the national flags of the two countries.

Following the welcoming ceremony, the two heads of state held talks.

President Xi Jinping first extended greetings, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, on the occasion of Kyrgyzstan’s Independence Day.

Xi Jinping said that in recent years, under the joint leadership of the two sides, China-Kyrgyzstan relations have developed rapidly. Cooperation in all areas has flourished, effectively contributing to the development and well-being of the peoples of both countries, while promoting regional peace, stability and prosperity.

He said that this year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the opening year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. China is advancing toward the great goal of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. Kyrgyzstan is also implementing the National Development Program until 2030 with full strength.

China is ready to work shoulder to shoulder with Kyrgyzstan to strengthen coordination between their development strategies, deepen exchanges of governance experience and create more practical and tangible results of cooperation that are visible and beneficial to the people, Xi Jinping said. These efforts will further deepen and advance the building of a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future, he added.

Xi Jinping stressed that high-level political mutual trust and firm mutual support are important foundations for the sound and sustainable development of China-Kyrgyzstan relations. China firmly supports Kyrgyzstan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and supports the country in choosing a development path suited to its own national conditions.

He said China is ready to continue providing firm mutual support with Kyrgyzstan on issues concerning the core interests of the two countries. The signing of the Treaty between China and Kyrgyzstan on Perpetual Peaceful Neighborhood and Friendly Cooperation will provide an important legal foundation for the lasting friendship and firm mutual support between the two countries.

Xi Jinping further said that to deepen practical cooperation between the two countries, it is necessary to properly implement plans for economic and trade cooperation, diversify traded goods, and expand new areas of growth such as digital trade and cross-border e-commerce.

He described the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway as a “major artery of transportation” carrying the development aspirations of the peoples of the region and called for high-quality progress in its construction. He also emphasized the need to deepen “soft connectivity” in areas such as port modernization, management, standards and rules.

He called for the implementation of more projects in renewable energy, resource recycling and green mineral cooperation, cooperation across the entire industrial chain, the construction of joint Belt and Road laboratories, and strengthened cooperation in various fields, including artificial intelligence.

Xi Jinping also emphasized the importance of increasing people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and strengthening cooperation among young people, the media, tourism, sports, healthcare and at the local level. Such efforts, he said, would further strengthen the social and popular foundation of China-Kyrgyzstan friendship.

On security cooperation, he said the two countries should expand cooperation in law enforcement and security, jointly combat the “three evil forces,” drug trafficking and cross-border crimes, and safeguard regional peace and stability.

China supports Kyrgyzstan in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs and is ready to work with Kyrgyzstan to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the United Nations, jointly implement the four global initiatives, oppose hegemonism and power politics, uphold true multilateralism and safeguard international justice, Xi Jinping said.

As founding members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, China and Kyrgyzstan should work together to implement the outcomes of the Tianjin Summit, promote regional common development and bring the organization’s development to a new stage, he added.

President Sadyr Japarov said he was highly honored to host President Xi Jinping on Kyrgyzstan’s 35th Independence Day. The visit has further demonstrated the deep friendship and high-level political mutual trust between Kyrgyzstan and China and will remain an important milestone in the history of relations between the two countries.

Japarov said Kyrgyzstan and China are neighboring countries, and the ancient Silk Road closely connected the two nations. In recent years, with the rapid development of the comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era, relations between the two countries have entered a “golden age” and reached their highest level in history.

Expressing gratitude to China, Japarov said that China has provided selfless support and cooperation at every important moment in Kyrgyzstan’s development. He extended sincere congratulations on the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the launch of the implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan.

Japarov said Kyrgyzstan is interested in learning from China’s governance experience, particularly from President Xi Jinping’s vision that “I will never let the people down through my dedication.” China is a priority direction of Kyrgyzstan’s foreign policy and Kyrgyzstan’s closest friend and most reliable partner, he said.

He said Kyrgyzstan firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is ready to deepen a lasting peaceful neighborhood relationship with China based on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.

Japarov expressed his country’s willingness to work with China to strengthen trade and investment, connectivity, scientific and technological innovation, energy, mineral resources, the green economy, education, healthcare, culture and youth exchanges, while jointly combating the “three evil forces” and safeguarding regional security.

Japarov also expressed his determination to actively advance construction of the Kyrgyzstan-China-Uzbekistan railway and transform it into a new-era “Steel Silk Road” and a new bridge of friendship between Kyrgyzstan and China.

He further said that the four global initiatives proposed by Xi Jinping are helping address common challenges and build a fairer and more stable international system. Kyrgyzstan is ready to maintain close coordination with China on various multilateral platforms, including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the China-Central Asia mechanism and the World AI Cooperation Organization.

During the meeting, Japarov, on behalf of the Kyrgyz government and people, expressed deep condolences over the disaster caused by a landslide in the Gyirong area of Xizang, China. Xi Jinping expressed his gratitude, saying that the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government are making every effort to rescue missing persons at home and abroad, relocate and resettle people affected by the disaster, provide medical treatment to the injured and prevent secondary disasters. China has also provided emergency assistance to Nepal, he said.

Following the talks, the two heads of state jointly signed the Joint Declaration on the High-Quality Development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for a New Era between the People’s Republic of China and the Kyrgyz Republic and the Treaty between the People’s Republic of China and the Kyrgyz Republic on Perpetual Peaceful Neighborhood and Friendly Cooperation.

The two heads of state also witnessed the exchange of bilateral cooperation documents covering investment, transportation, customs and friendly cities. During the visit, the two sides signed more than 20 cooperation documents covering areas including science and technology, education, humanities and the media.

At noon that day, President Japarov and Aigul Japarova hosted a dinner at the Harmony Palace in honor of President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan.

Chinese officials Cai Qi, Wang Yi and other officials attended the event.

Source: Swarna-Touhid-Lily, China Media Group (CMG).