On October 15, during the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Islamabad, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov.
Li expressed that earlier this year, in July, President Xi Jinping and President Japarov had a meeting in Astana, during which they outlined plans to create a closer Chinese-Kyrgyz community of shared destiny and elevate the bilateral relationship and cooperation to new heights. Li emphasized China’s willingness to strengthen coordination and collaboration with Kyrgyzstan, guided by the strategic direction of the two leaders, to deepen cooperation across various fields and promote common development and prosperity.
“China and Kyrgyzstan should approach and develop their relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective,” Li noted, pledging steadfast mutual support and becoming reliable partners in each other’s development revitalization. He expressed China’s readiness to advance high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, enhance connectivity, accelerate the improvement of infrastructure such as ports, invigorate trade and investment, and expand collaboration in new energy, cross-border e-commerce, big data, and artificial intelligence, seeking tangible outcomes from these efforts. He also highlighted the importance of deepening cultural exchanges in areas such as travel, education, and health, ensuring that the friendship between the two nations is passed down through generations. Li reiterated China’s commitment to implementing the outcomes from last year’s China-Central Asia Summit and to enhancing communication and collaboration under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, aiming to reinforce the “Shanghai Spirit” and contribute positively to regional peace and stability.
In response, Japarov acknowledged the long-standing friendly relations between Kyrgyzstan and China, noting the close high-level exchanges and fruitful economic and trade cooperation. He expressed gratitude for China’s support in Kyrgyzstan’s socio-economic development. Japarov underscored the significance of the relationship with China and looked forward to jointly implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state. He advocated for deeper alignment of development strategies, enriched Belt and Road cooperation, promotion of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway construction, and further collaboration in areas such as port development, connectivity, finance, mining, education, and tourism, all aimed at invigorating the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Japarov affirmed Kyrgyzstan’s firm support for President Xi’s vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the three major global initiatives, expressing the desire to strengthen multilateral cooperation with China to promote regional peace and prosperity alongside Central Asian nations.
