Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held separate talks with his Belarusian and Uzbek counterparts on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting in Bishkek, using the opportunity to deepen China’s security partnerships and advance regional connectivity projects.
According to statements released by China’s foreign ministry on Friday, Wang met Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov and Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov on Thursday evening, focusing on security cooperation, economic collaboration and coordination through multilateral organisations.
During his meeting with Ryzhenkov, Wang thanked Belarus for what he described as its unwavering support for China on issues concerning Beijing’s “core interests.” He said China appreciated Belarus having “unswervingly stood” by Beijing on matters relating to its sovereignty and national interests.
The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in law enforcement and security while accelerating preparations to establish a China-Belarus development bank, a project aimed at expanding financial and investment cooperation between the two countries.
The foreign ministers also signed a consultation plan between their respective foreign ministries covering the 2026-2027 period, reinforcing regular diplomatic coordination.
In separate talks with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, Wang stressed the importance of expanding bilateral economic cooperation through more landmark industrialisation projects.
He also called for continued progress on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, a flagship Belt and Road Initiative project expected to improve trade links between China and Central Asia while providing Beijing with an alternative transport corridor to Europe.
Security cooperation also featured prominently in the discussions. Wang urged both countries to make full use of their existing joint law enforcement and security cooperation mechanism to address regional challenges.
He further called for closer coordination at multilateral platforms, including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism.
The meetings come ahead of the SCO leaders’ summit later this year and reflect Beijing’s continued efforts to strengthen political, economic and security ties across Eurasia.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, founded in 2001, comprises 10 member states, including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus and several Central Asian countries. The grouping has increasingly become a platform for Beijing to promote regional security cooperation, economic integration and infrastructure connectivity as part of its broader Eurasian strategy.
(with inputs from Reuters)
