China joins hands with Central Asia to boost economy, trade

The Seminar on China (Inner Mongolia)-Central Asia Economic and Trade Cooperation, themed on "Joining Hands with Central Asia for a Win-Win Future," was successfully held in Hohhot, the capital city of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Sept 7.

Government and business representatives from the five Central Asian countries - Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan - gathered to explore business opportunities for cooperation.

Zhang Lei, vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Inner Mongolia Committee, said Central Asian countries have superior geographical locations and abundant resources, providing a solid foundation and broad prospects for cooperation with Inner Mongolia.

Zhang expressed hope that all parties would leverage their respective advantages, seize opportunities, deepen their understanding, and consolidate a consensus to deepen their friendship through continued cooperation.

Zohir Ozod Saidzoda, Ambassador of Tajikistan to China, said in the first half of this year, Tajikistan's trade with China exceeded $704 million, a year-on-year growth of 5.1 percent. "Both countries have tremendous potential for trade cooperation in investment and the real economy sectors," he said.

During the seminar, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Committee and the Kyrgyzstan Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed a memorandum of economic and trade cooperation.