China moves to cement ties with Uzbekistan amid tussle with US for Central Asian influence

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has urged Uzbekistan to deepen cooperation in various sectors, including minerals, artificial intelligence, and aerospace, as Beijing competes with Washington for influence in Central Asia. During a two-day visit to Tashkent, Li stressed the importance of strengthening strategic communication and boosting mutually beneficial ties with Uzbekistan.

He highlighted the need to enhance collaboration in energy, minerals, finance, and connectivity, while also pushing for greater cooperation in artificial intelligence and aerospace.

In response to the complex and turbulent international landscape, Li emphasized the need for China and Uzbekistan to remain steadfast in their partnership and work together towards a shared vision. He also reiterated China's commitment to ensuring the successful implementation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, a long-awaited project that will connect China to Europe via Central Asia, bypassing Russia.

Li's visit comes amid heightened competition between China and the United States for regional dominance in Central Asia, a region rich in vital minerals for the hi-tech industry. American Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also visiting Uzbekistan this week for the annual C5+1 meeting. Rubio expressed the US's interest in building stronger relationships with the region, noting the abundance of critical minerals that remain largely untapped.

Li also reiterated China's willingness to collaborate closely with Uzbekistan on major issues and within multilateral groupings such as the China-Central Asia mechanism and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The Uzbek leader expressed his country's readiness to advance cooperation with China, stating that the relationship had entered a "golden age". In August, Mirziyoyev met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO summit, where Xi called for a "golden decade" in the relationship between the two nations.