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Official from the Department of Eurasian Affairs Comments on Premier Li Keqiang’s Economic and Trade Achievements of Attending the 18th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government and Visiting Uzbekistan


On November 1-2, Premier Li Keqiang attended the 18th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government and paid an official visit to Uzbekistan. The head of the Department of Eurasian Affairs interpreted the main economic and trade achievements of this visit.

The official said that in the context of the increasing uncertainties in the international political and economic situation, Premier Li Keqiang’s visit has yielded fruitful results, and it is necessary to implement the important consensus of the leaders of the SCO member states and promote the upgrading of China-Ukraine pragmatic cooperation. It also sends a positive signal for the prosperity and stability of the world economy.

I. Major economic and trade achievements of the SCO Council of Heads of Government

First, support the multilateral trading system and oppose trade protectionism. The world today faces profound changes of a kind unseen in a century. The international situation is complex and changeable, and free trade and economic globalization are facing severe challenges. The member states of the SCO are developing countries, and the Prime Ministers meeting has issued a clear signal to support the multilateral trading system, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, and safeguard the multilateral trading system. Joint efforts will be made to promote the WTO reforms, and deepen cooperation on the construction of an open world economy.

Second, deepen trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. During the meeting of Council of Heads of Government, all sides supported further deepening regional cooperation and improving the business environment on the basis of the consensus of the Bishkek summit in June this year to create favorable conditions for expanding mutual investment. At the same time, further solutions to developing regional trade facilitation will be formulated to gradually realize the free circulation of goods, capital, services and technology as was stipulated in the SCO Charter.

Third, actively expand the field of regional economic cooperation. This meeting approved the new edition of the Outline of Multilateral Economic and Trade Cooperation of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This document serves as a programmatic document for the SCO regional economic cooperation from 2020 to 2035. It provides guidance for regional economic cooperation by three phases including near-term, mid-term and long terms plans which will be implemented every five years. In addition, the meeting also approved the Statutes of the SCO Economic Think Tank Alliance, the Concept of Cooperation of the SCO Member States on Development of Remote and Rural Areas in the Digital Age and the Approval of the Action Plan, and the Resolutions of the SCO Member States on Cooperation in the Field of Service Trade. On the basis of strengthening cooperation in traditional areas such as trade, production capacity, energy, agriculture, customs, and finance, all parties will continue to promote cooperation in new areas such as digital economy, e-commerce, SMEs, think tanks, and regions, and enrich the connotation of regional economic development.

II. Major economic and trade achievements of visiting Uzbekistan

During the meeting of Council of Heads of Government, the two sides signed eight economic and trade cooperation documents. Among them, the Ministry of Commerce and Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Establishing Investment Cooperation and the Memorandum of Understanding on E-Commerce Cooperation. The two sides agreed to actively build new growth points such as e-commerce and mineral resources while expanding traditional trade. They will expand two-way investment, enhance the level of facilitation, strengthen local cooperation between the two countries, and make the Belt and Road cooperation more deep and pragmatic.

In addition, the two sides have made a series of important cooperation progress in the fields of energy, industry and infrastructure construction, and reached a number of cooperation agreements in the fields of investment, digital economy, agriculture, science and technology. The content of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries has been further enriched.

The leaders of the two countries also fully exchanged views on deepening local cooperation, developing e-commerce, and expanding trade in agricultural products, and reached broad consensus. At present, Uzbekistan has become a popular destination for Chinese tourists, driving the rapid growth of service trade between the two countries. Uzbekistan’s cherry and other agricultural products have landed on Chinese e-commerce platforms and are increasingly entering Chinese families. It can be said that the economic and trade relations between the two countries have been heating up and played a positive role in promoting the domestic economic development of the two countries and enhancing the well-being of the people.