BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce said Thursday that the country will further deepen its trade ties with Central Asia and promote bilateral cooperation on industrial and supply chains.
During the just-concluded second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, the ministry signed three documents with the relevant authorities of Central Asian countries to strengthen economic and trade cooperation, enhance trade facilitation, and promote green mineral cooperation, ministry spokesperson He Yadong said at a press conference.
The ministry has also signed five bilateral cooperation documents with relevant Central Asian countries, focusing on areas such as economic and trade relations, investment, e-commerce, and economic and technological cooperation, according to He.
Next, the ministry will take measures to implement the key outcomes and consensus reached at the summit, the spokesperson said.
To enhance bilateral trade cooperation, China will actively expand imports of energy, minerals and high-quality agricultural products from Central Asian countries, while increasing exports of automobiles, home appliances, telecommunications equipment and light textiles to the region.
China will also expand its cooperation with Central Asia in emerging fields such as electric vehicles, biomedicine, new energy and the digital economy, and make efforts to increase the China-Europe freight trains passing through Central Asian countries, according to He.
In addition, China will implement the new versions of investment agreements it has signed with Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, accelerate negotiations with Kyrgyzstan on service trade and investment agreement, and support Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in joining the World Trade Organization, He said.
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