China, Uzbekistan to improve ties, cooperation

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang is scheduled to visit Uzbekistan on Saturday, the third leg of his three-nation tour which includes Finland and Turkmenistan.

    Relations between China and Uzbekistan improved in 1990s after the two countries established diplomatic ties in January 1992.

    In June 2001, Uzbekistan joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. In June 2004, the SCO launched a regional anti-terror structure in Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent.

    Since then, China and Uzbekistan have maintained active and effective cooperation within the SCO framework and achieved further development of bilateral ties.

    In May 2005, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Uzbek President Islam Karimov signed a treaty on friendly and cooperative partnership in Beijing, signaling new determination on both sides to further consolidate their traditional friendship and cooperation; Kazinform cites China View.

See www.chinaview.cn for full version.