Chinese, Kyrgyz foreign ministers hold first strategic dialogue

Foreign ministers from China and Kyrgyzstan held their first strategic dialogue on Wednesday, pledging to deepen political dialogue, maintain high-level exchanges and deepen cooperation in various fields.

The establishment of the strategic dialogue mechanism will help further strengthen strategic mutual trust, enhance strategic coordination and promote strategic cooperation, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during the dialogue with his Kyrgyz counterpart Jeenbek Kulubaev in Bishkek.

Kyrgyzstan is Wang's first stop of his four-day trip to Central Asia, which will also take him to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

China supports Kyrgyzstan in accelerating the realization of national rejuvenation, Wang said, calling China the most reliable and dependable partner for the Central Asian country.

Wang said that jointly building a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future characterized by good-neighborliness, friendship and common prosperity meets the fundamental interests of both countries and reflects the aspirations of their people.

According to him, bilateral trade has hit record highs for two consecutive years, the Kyrgyz section of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway has begun full-scale construction, and a new air route has opened in recent, which demonstrated the continuous upgrade of bilateral cooperation.

He called for the two countries to further tap the cooperation potential, facilitate cross-border transportation and cooperate in green minerals.

The two sides should also enhance cooperation in tourism, poverty reduction, healthcare, local exchanges, and education to consolidate the public foundation, he said.

Wang added that the two countries should promote counterterrorism intelligence sharing, and combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.

China is also ready to deepen communication and coordination with Kyrgyzstan on international affairs and fully supports Kyrgyzstan in assuming the rotating chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Wang said.

Kulubaev said Kyrgyzstan adheres to the one-China principle and is ready to work with China to advance Belt and Road cooperation, deepen cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture and mining, connectivity and other areas, accelerate the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, and strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov also met with Wang on Wednesday.