Interview: China's strong economy provides more opportunities for Central Asian region, says expert
The strong and stable Chinese economy provides more opportunities for the Central Asian region amid the continued development of their trade and economic relations, an Uzbek expert said Wednesday.
China's achievements remain very attractive especially in the post-pandemic period when the Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, are taking measures to revive their economies, Anri Sharapov, a professor at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, told Xinhua in an interview.
"The driver of the expansion of Uzbekistan's partnership with China is the trade, economic and investment spheres," said Sharapov. "This is due to the fact that the strategic interests of Beijing and Tashkent at this stage completely coincide: Both sides are interested in preserving peace, stability and economic development in the region."
China has achieved tremendous economic success and its victory over absolute poverty 10 years ahead of schedule as set out in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the most exciting chapter in the country's history, he noted.
"All this speaks about the effectiveness of the policy of the Communist Party of China, which creatively developed the theory of Marxism and used it in a new historical era in relation to the specific conditions of China," the expert said.
Noting China's large economic base and the scale of its openness, Sharapov said he believed that China will provide exceptional opportunities for the economic development of the whole world.
Economic recovery in China will also boost its demand for imports of raw materials, oil and gas, and agricultural products from Central Asia that would allow countries like Uzbekistan to increase their export volumes, he added.
Also, China's stable economic development will help to increase its investments in Central Asia's large strategic projects, Sharapov said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown China's success in science and technology development, and its new technological progress will provide substantial assistance to the Central Asian countries in their economic reforms, he concluded.