Premier Li Keqiang has held talks with Uzbekistan's Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov in Beijing on Aug 27. Premier Li said he hopes China's Belt and Road Initiative could help advance Uzbekistan's own development plan. He called for further bilateral cooperation in areas such as culture, tourism, and education. Prime Minister Aripov congratulated on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. He said Uzbekistan continues to welcome Chinese investments and is willing to strengthen coordination with China on global and regional issues.