On the morning of September 22, local time, Chairman Wu Bangguo of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), who is in Uzbekistan for an official goodwill visit, held talks with Dilorom Toshmuhamedova, speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Uzbek Supreme Assembly.

Toshmuhamedova first expressed welcome for Chairman Wu Bangguo's visit to Uzbekistan, saying that this is another important high-level contact between the two countries after President Karimov's visit to China in April. She believed this visit will open a new page in the history of bilateral parliamentary relations and further enhance the level of bilateral ties.

Wu said that China-Uzbekistan friendship has a long history. As early as more than 2,000 years ago, the "Silk Road" linked the two peoples together. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, bilateral traditional friendship has been consolidated and developed, and continued to bear new fruit, bringing tangible benefits to the two countries and their peoples. Wu pointed out that Uzbekistan is an influential country in the Eurasian region and bilateral friendly cooperative partnership is an important part of China's good-neighborly foreign policy with neighboring countries. China has always looked at and developed relations with Uzbekistan from a strategic height and a global perspective and is ready to strengthen friendly exchanges at various levels in various fields in the spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit by taking the opportunity of the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties. China is ready to carry forward traditional friendship, enhance mutual political trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation and continuously open up new prospects for bilateral ties.

Wu said both the NPC of China and the Uzbek Supreme Assembly hold an important position in the political and social life of their respective countries and the two sides have conducted sound communication and cooperation, which have built up mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples and enriched the connotation of state relations. He hoped that through this visit, both sides will maintain the momentum of high-level visits between the two parliaments, strengthen the friendly exchanges between special committees and members of parliament (MP), attract more MPs, especially young MPs to participate in the China-Uzbekistan friendship cause and exchange experience in governing the country, improving democracy and the legal system. He urged both sides to do more practical things to promote pragmatic cooperation on trade, culture, tourism, security and other fields and inject new vitality into the development of state relations.

Toshmuhamedova, for her part, said that Uzbekistan and China, as close friends, are linked not only by the profound traditional friendship, but also the broad consensus on many issues and increasingly close friendship and cooperation. The Uzbek side has kept a close eye on China's development with admiration, holding that a prosperous China will bring more opportunities to the cooperation among the countries in the region including Uzbekistan. The Legislative Chamber of the Uzbek Supreme Assembly attaches importance to developing ties with the NPC of China and hopes both sides will enhance friendly exchanges and carry out exchanges in various forms on issues of common concern. She said that the two parliaments should learn from each other on legislation on developing economy and improving people's livelihood and step up efforts in pushing forward the implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state to promote the development of bilateral ties and better serve the domestic construction of the two countries.

Toshmuhamedova reiterated Uzbekistan's adherence to the one-China policy and pledged to support each other on issues concerning core interests and back China's efforts to fight against the "three forces". Wu expressed thanks and emphasized China will, as always, support Uzbekistan's choice of development path in conformity with its national conditions, and its government's efforts to safeguard state sovereignty, security and promote economic and social development.

Wu also introduced China's economic and social development, stressing that during the 12th Five Year Plan period, China will adhere to the theme of scientific development with accelerating the transformation of economic development pattern as the main line and protecting and improving people's livelihood as a fundamental starting point, and strive to make the fruits of development benefit all people.

Vice Chairman and Secretary General Li Jianguo of China's NPC Standing Committee and other Chinese accompanying officials, the vice speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Uzbek Supreme Assembly, as well as chairs of special committees were present at the talks.