China-Kyrgyzstan cooperation to go deeper

By Qu Song, People’s Daily

 

People from all walks of life in Kyrgyzstan are looking forward to President Xi Jinping’s state visit, which is believed to promote the cooperation between the two countries, said Mahabat Mavlyanova, a member of the Kyrgyz Parliament.

 

Mavlyanova made the remarks in an interview with People’s Daily ahead of President Xi’s state visit to Kyrgyzstan and attendance at the 19th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

 

Kyrgyzstan and China are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. The two countries share a border of about 1,100 kilometers in length, and a history of friendly exchanges that has lasted for centuries, said the former entrepreneur, who pays close attention to economic and social development and are enthusiastic about advancing cooperation between China and Kyrgyzstan.

 

Now, the relationship between the two countries has become closer because of the joint construction of the Belt and Road, said Mavlyanova.

 

In recent years, cooperation between the two countries has entered a full swing. A series of large-scale projects that are vital to the economic development of Kyrgyzstan are being implemented, covering transportation, construction, energy, mining, education, and culture.

 

In April, China delivered a hospital built in Kyrgyzstan’s southern capital city Osh to the Kyrgyz side. The hospital will provide high-quality and comprehensive medical services to the local community.

 

The trade volume between the two countries increased from $1.489 billion in 2013 to $2.003 billion in 2018. In June 2018, the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership.

 

In addition to economic and trade cooperation, cultural exchanges between China and Kyrgyzstan are also a highlight of bilateral exchanges, said Mavlyanova.

 

The two governments have signed a series of cooperation documents in the fields of culture, education, literature and art. The enthusiasm of young people in Kyrgyzstan to learn Chinese is growing, and studying in China has gradually become trendy in Kyrgyzstan.

 

The cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries will become increasingly frequent. Such cooperation will not only be carried out on bilateral platforms, but also on multilateral platforms such as the SCO, said Mavlyanova.

 

In recent years, the two countries have strengthened the alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative and regional cooperation mechanisms such as the Eurasian Economic Union, bringing valuable opportunities for the development of Kyrgyzstan, Mavlyanova noted.

 

Thanks to the road rehabilitation project carried out by China Road& Bridge Corporation under the Belt and Road framework, Balykchy, a major port on Issyk Kul Lake in northern Kyrgyzstan will be able to embrace a broader foreign trade market.

 

As the world’s second largest economy, China has always taken an active part in regional and international affairs and played an important and constructive role in promoting regional peace and development and safeguarding international fairness and justice.

 

The leaders of the SCO member states will carry out in-depth discussion on the new ideas and new measures to jointly cope with the risks and challenges and promote security, stability and development and revitalization under the current situation.

 

“We look forward to the joint efforts of the two countries and the SCO member countries to help the organization achieve a new round of development,” Mavlianova stressed.