Trade turnover between the two countries increased by 43.5% compared to 2007. China remains the third largest trade partner of Uzbekistan, following Russia and Ukraine. China's share in the Uzbek trade turnover hit 6.8% in 2008, Uzbekistan State Statistics Committee said.

As far as specifics of cooperation are concerned, Hongjun said that "it should coincide with not only current but also future the interests and meet global development trends in the world. That is an important issue concerning economic cooperation and its priorities. Among these are energy and electric power fields," Hongjun said.

Construction of the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-China gas pipeline and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan automobile and rail ways are among the most important, priority projects, Hongjun said. "A series of issues are to be worked out, compromise solutions to some issues are to be found and appropriate investments are to be made," he said.

"The crisis is expected to affect the bilateral trade and economic cooperation. But on the other hand, the crisis makes our country accelerate optimization of economic and industrial structures. And that will provide new opportunities and space for bilateral economic cooperation," Hongjun said.

Source: UzDaily.com