Li Qiang Meets with President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan

On the afternoon of May 19, 2023, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council met at the Great Hall of the People with President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan who is in China for the China-Central Asia Summit and a state visit.

Li Qiang recalled that recently President Xi Jinping and President Zhaparov had jointly announced the building of a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future of good-neighborliness and shared prosperity, achieving a new strategic upgrade of China-Kyrgyzstan relations. China is ready to work with Kyrgyzstan to fully implement the important common understandings reached between the two heads of state, and advance the China-Kyrgyzstan all-round cooperation to a higher standard, to lend impetus to the common development and rejuvenation of the two countries.

Li Qiang pointed out that China and Kyrgyzstan need to take the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity, and fully leverage the complementary strengths, to enhance and upgrade trade cooperation and further advance connectivity building, including the development of transport corridors connecting China and Central Asia. We also need to foster new highlights of cooperation in such areas as green energy and cross-border e-commerce, and deepen people-to-people exchanges in education, culture and tourism. The two sides should continue to strengthen security cooperation, and jointly combat the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, to build strong security shields for the development and prosperity of the two countries.

Li Qiang stressed that the inaugural China-Central Asia Summit has drawn a new blueprint for the development of China-Central Asia relations. China is ready to work with Kyrgyzstan to implement the important outcomes of the summit, and enhance collaboration within the framework of China-Central Asia mechanisms, to promote greater development of China-Central Asia cooperation.

Zhaparov said that the Kyrgyzstan-China relationship is currently at its highest level in history, with friendship, mutual benefit, and good-neighborliness being the defining features of bilateral relations. Kyrgyzstan firmly supports China on issues related to China's core interests and supports the Global Security Initiative proposed by China. Kyrgyzstan stands ready to work with China to deepen cooperation in politics, economy and trade, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, among other areas, jointly combat the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, strengthen mutual cooperation in international affairs, promote further and in-depth development of Kyrgyzstan-China relations, and jointly address new threats and new challenges facing the world today. Kyrgyzstan congratulates China on successfully hosting the China-Central Asia Summit, and believes that this mechanism will become an important platform for international exchanges and cooperation and make positive contributions to maintaining regional and world peace and development.