Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held talks with a Chinese delegation led by John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, on June 4, focusing on expanding economic, technological, and regional cooperation among Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, and China.

At the start of the meeting, Lee conveyed greetings and best wishes from Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Uzbek leader, The Caspian Post reports via UzDaily.

Uzbekistan and China Highlight Growing Strategic Partnership

During the talks, both sides reviewed progress in bilateral relations and discussed new opportunities to strengthen practical cooperation with Hong Kong as part of the broader Uzbekistan-China partnership.

Officials noted the strong momentum in relations between the two countries, describing them as a comprehensive strategic partnership that has continued to deepen in recent years. They also emphasized the implementation of agreements reached during previous high-level meetings.

The discussions followed a series of recent engagements, including a meeting of the Uzbekistan-China Intergovernmental Commission in Beijing and the Third Interregional Forum held in Xi’an.

In Hong Kong, Uzbekistan recently organized an economic forum, an industrial exhibition, and launched a new Uzbek Trade House aimed at promoting business and investment ties.

Focus on Trade, Investment and Direct Flights

Particular attention was given to strengthening economic cooperation between Uzbekistan’s regions and Hong Kong. Both sides welcomed the visit of a Hong Kong business delegation to Tashkent and discussed ways to expand commercial partnerships.

Officials stressed the importance of developing a comprehensive cooperation program covering trade, finance, industrial collaboration, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

The proposed agenda also includes plans to launch direct flights, expand consular cooperation, and facilitate travel between the two destinations.

Green Energy, AI and Fintech Among Key Priorities

The leaders identified several priority sectors for future cooperation, including green energy, agriculture, biotechnology, the digital economy, fintech, startup development, and artificial intelligence.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to prepare a joint roadmap for cooperation, establish a business council, and explore the introduction of a reciprocal visa-free regime between Uzbekistan and Hong Kong.