Uzbekistan and Hong Kong eye fintech, green energy, and direct flights in new partnership

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev received a Chinese delegation led by John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, on June 4.

Photo: Presidential press service

At the beginning of the meeting, John Lee conveyed the warm greetings and best wishes of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Uzbek leader.

The discussions focused on key aspects of deepening Uzbekistan–China cooperation, specifically looking at boosting interregional exchanges and building practical partnerships with Hong Kong. Both sides expressed great satisfaction with the unprecedented level of friendship and all-weather strategic partnership that Uzbekistan and China have achieved in recent years.

Agreements reached at the highest level are being consistently implemented. In May alone, a successful Intergovernmental Commission meeting took place in Beijing, and the third Interregional Forum was held in Xi'an. Furthermore, Hong Kong recently hosted an economic forum and an industrial exhibition alongside the opening of the Uzbekistan Trade House.

Special attention was given to unlocking the economic potential between various regions of Uzbekistan and Hong Kong. Both leaders expressed confidence that the current visit of a prominent delegation representing Hong Kong’s business community to Tashkent would significantly advance these efforts.

The two sides emphasized the importance of adopting a comprehensive cooperation program. This initiative will focus on expanding trade, economic, and financial ties, establishing industrial cooperation, and fostering educational, tourism, and business exchanges. It will also cover the introduction of direct flights and enhanced consular services for citizens.

Priority sectors for joint development include green energy, agriculture, biotechnology, the digital economy, fintech, innovative startups, and artificial intelligence.

To formalize these plans, an agreement was reached to adopt a joint roadmap covering these priority areas. The two sides also agreed to establish a Business Council and to work toward introducing a mutual, visa-free regime between Uzbekistan and Hong Kong in the near future.