Xi says China, Azerbaijan upgrade bilateral relations to strategic partnership

China and Azerbaijan have upgraded bilateral relations to strategic partnership, which is a new positioning and a new starting point, said Chinese President Xi Jinping when meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Astana on Wednesday.

The two leaders met in the Kazakh capital ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which is set to be held Thursday.

During his meeting with Aliyev, Xi noted that China and Azerbaijan are good friends who treat each other with sincerity and mutual trust, and are good partners on the grounds of equality and mutual benefits.

He said bilateral relations have seen sound and steady growth, while cooperation between the two countries has achieved fruitful results with richer strategic connotations.

Xi said that the two countries are standing at a new starting point in their relationship and should mutually support each other in order to further benefit the people of both sides.

Xi underlined that China firmly supports Azerbaijan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and pursuing a successful development path tailored to its national realities.

The Chinese president pointed out that the two sides should promote the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road, deepen cooperation in fields including trade, investment, oil and gas, and photovoltaics, enhance connectivity, develop the trans-Caspian international transport corridor, and ensure the healthy and stable operation of the China-Europe Railway Express.

He also called for more exchanges across various fields to cement public support for friendly China-Azerbaijan relations.

Xi said China supports Azerbaijan in hosting the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November, and stands ready to work with Azerbaijan in jointly advocating an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization, and to promote world peace, stability and development.

For his part, Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan and China are good partners. The two countries have maintained close exchanges at various departments and levels, witnessed increasing bilateral trade volume, and firmly supported each other in safeguarding independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity in international organizations, he said.

The two sides jointly announced the establishment of the Azerbaijan-China strategic partnership in a joint statement, which is of great significance to the development of bilateral relations, he said.

He stressed that Azerbaijan firmly adheres to the one-China principle and firmly supports China in achieving national reunification, which is the trend of history and no force can stop it.

Aliyev said Azerbaijan looks forward to strengthening unity and cooperation with China, and enhancing cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment, new energy, culture and other areas within the framework of Belt and Road cooperation.

He said Azerbaijan stands ready to work closely with China within the SCO and other frameworks, to jointly oppose external interference and maintain regional security and stability. The two sides released a joint statement on the upgrade of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership, and signed cooperation agreements regarding Belt and Road cooperation, connectivity and various other fields.

Xi says China, Azerbaijan upgrade bilateral relations to strategic partnership

Xi says China, Azerbaijan upgrade bilateral relations to strategic partnership

Xi says China, Azerbaijan upgrade bilateral relations to strategic partnership

Xi says China, Azerbaijan upgrade bilateral relations to strategic partnership

Xi says China, Azerbaijan upgrade bilateral relations to strategic partnership

Healthcare has been one of the key areas for China-Tajikistan cooperation, and the Central Asian country is looking forward to making good use of the achievements registered by both nations, in a bid to improve the quality of medical treatment, according to a Tajik official.

In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Ghafur Muhsinzoda, First Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection of Tajikistan, spoke highly of the benefits brought by the cooperation between China and his country and offered insights into the prospects of healthcare field by deepening exchanges.

Tajikistan has inked multiple agreements with China's Ministry of Health, Beijing Municipality and northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as part of the efforts to improve the medical level, said the deputy minister.

"It should be noted that our cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector with the People's Republic of China is also at a very good level. In particular, there are already 54 joint ventures with China in our Republic, and we have registered 208 types of medications allowed for import into Tajikistan from China. We are also striving to improve our pharmaceutical industry standards to approach the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) level and meet international standards," he said.

Thanks to the fruitful results achieved through numerous meetings with representatives from China, Tajikistan has received many visitors from various Chinese cities like Beijing, Changzhou and Urumqi, according to Muhsinzoda.

In terms of the future opportunities of cooperation in healthcare sector, Muhsinzoda revealed that Tajikistan has drawn up specific plans to work on traditional Chinese medicine through the in-depth cooperation with China.

"We have now identified joint projects where we can work together both in Tajikistan and by sending our specialists abroad. We also have specific plans for developing traditional medicine, the traditional medicine practices used in the People's Republic of China. We aim to establish production and proper use of these medicines in Tajikistan through our cooperation. Additionally, we have our own experience in traditional medicine. We want to combine the achievements of both countries to improve the quality of treatment in areas where they are effective," said the official.

He also mentioned that in cooperation with surgeons from China, his ministry has prepared their systems in advance, and has conducted extensive work to ensure that the most needy patients can receive appropriate treatment.

"With the help of Chinese specialists, ophthalmologists and volunteers, we were able to organize [treatment for those in need.] And within a short period, in two weeks, they performed 543 operations and consulted with 979 needy patients, selecting those who need these operations," said Muhsinzoda.

Tajikistan to improve medical treatment quality by joining hands with China: official