BEIJING - Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met with Uzbek President Islam Karimov in Beijing on Thursday, encouraging both sides to deepen cooperation in various fields.

Xi said that in the year of the 20th anniversary of the two countries establishing diplomatic relations, Chinese President Hu Jintao and his counterpart Karimov jointly announced the establishment of strategic partnership.

The Chinese side is willing to join hands with Uzbekistan, said Xi, adding that China is to comprehensively deepen cooperation in various fields, and strive to promote development with Uzbekistan.

Although China and Uzbekistan have built a long-term and win-win strategic partnership, there are still new challenges and new demands. Thus, both sides should seek potential cooperation, expand cooperation fields, and improve cooperation levels.

Xi stressed that the two countries should speed up the implementation of China-Uzbekistan long-term trade agreement and currency exchange agreement, and explore cooperation in new energy and clean energy, so to create a new cooperation situation.

Xi also pointed out that Uzbekistan is an important member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and a big power in the region.

"China is willing to work with Uzbekistan to promote the development of the SCO in a health way, and deepen pragmatic cooperation with other member states, as well as benefit the people in those states," Xi said.

"What makes Uzbekistan proud of during the past 20 years, is that Uzbekistan and China started a new era in the development of bilateral relations," said Karimov.

Karimov said building a strategic partnership with China shows that both sides have followed the trend of the times, and Uzbekistan has confidence in China's development prospects.

"It's the priority to develop relations with China under the new circumstance. Uzbekistan is willing to further strengthen comprehensive cooperation with China, and boost the development of both sides' relations," Karimov said.

Karimov arrived in Beijing on Tuesday evening to attend the 12th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Wednesday and Thursday.

President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao also met with Karimov on Wednesday, exchanging views on upgrading the relationship between the two countries to a strategic partnership.