On June 21, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a two-day state visit to Uzbekistan upon invitation and attends the 16th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit Meeting in Tashkent On June 23 and 24. Xi also visited the historical cultural city Bukhara known as the "living fossil on the Silk Road", accompanied by the Uzbek Prime Minister Mirziyaev.

Cartoon by Liao Tingting, Chi Ying

On June 22, Uzbek president Karimov held a grand welcome ceremony for President Xi.

The two presidents held formal talks and decided to upgrade China-Uzbekistan relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, while witnessing the signing of many cooperation documents on diplomacy and economy.

Uzbekistan is the third and last stop of Xi’s Europe-Asia tour which has taken him to Serbia and Poland. And the themes again feature in high-level reception, upgrading bilateral ties, and expanding pragmatic cooperation.

2000 years ago, the ancient Silk Road linked the Uzbek people with Chinese people.

In this new historical moment, the joint construction of Belt and Road also becomes a highlight and mainline in China-Uzbekistan cooperation.

The bilateral tie is stepping into a rapid development golden era.

Xi's visit has improved the level of bilateral ties and promoted the docking of the Belt and Road Initiative, injecting new impetus to the all-round cooperation between China and Uzbekistan.

The blueprint has already drawn, and the sail is ready to set out.

It is believed that Xi's visit opened a new chapter of China-Uzbekistan friendship and the two countries would march onto a broader and smoother way of joint development and prosper.

The author is Xu Xiujun, deputy director of International Politics and Economics Department, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.