DUSHANBE, Oct. 18 -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Sunday that China stands ready to work with Tajikistan to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
He made the remarks in talks with Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda during his official visit, saying China is willing to deeply align its development strategies with Tajikistan, deepen cooperation in trade and investment, green minerals, connectivity, clean energy, artificial intelligence and other areas, so as to better achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.
China will import more high-quality goods from Tajikistan, encourage Chinese enterprises to invest and start businesses in Tajikistan, and hopes that Tajikistan will continue to provide a favorable business environment for enterprises, Li added.
Both sides should expand exchanges and cooperation in areas such as culture, education, health, sports and local-level fields to enhance the sense of gain of the people of both countries, said Li, noting that at the same time, the two countries should continue to deepen law enforcement and security cooperation to foster a stable and secure environment for personnel exchanges between the two sides.
Noting that the international situation continues to undergo complex changes, Li said that as important members of the Global South, China and Tajikistan should unite and coordinate more closely, safeguard the common interests of both countries and defend international fairness and justice.
He said the two sides should further strengthen communication and coordination within multilateral frameworks including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the China-Central Asia mechanism and the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, and work to build a more just and equitable global governance system.
People of China and Tajikistan have always shared friendly sentiments toward each other, Li said, noting that in recent years under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Emomali Rahmon, China-Tajikistan relations have maintained a high level of development, with cooperation across various fields deepening and yielding tangible results.
Next year marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Tajikistan, Li said, adding that China stands ready to work with Tajikistan to deepen strategic mutual trust, firmly support each other, take all-round cooperation to new heights, deliver more tangible outcomes and better benefit people of both countries.
For his part, Rasulzoda said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, Tajikistan-China relations are currently at their best level in history.
In May this year, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon paid a successful visit to China, and relations between the two countries have entered a new stage of development, Rasulzoda said.
China is the most important trade and investment partner of Tajikistan, Rasulzoda said, expressing appreciation for China's long-standing and strong support for Tajikistan's economic development.
He said Tajikistan is committed to advancing all-round cooperation with China and stands ready to further leverage such platforms as the China-Tajikistan intergovernmental committee on economic and trade cooperation, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, transport and logistics, energy and minerals, and connectivity.
Rasulzoda also called for expanding cooperation in emerging fields such as the green economy, digital economy and artificial intelligence, enhancing people-to-people exchanges, and strengthening communication and coordination within multilateral frameworks, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the China-Central Asia mechanism, to promote further progress in Tajikistan-China relations.
Following the talks, the two sides witnessed the signing of multiple documents covering infrastructure development, education, anti-corruption and standardized cooperation.
On Sunday afternoon, Li also laid a wreath at the monument of Ismoil Somoni.
