“Hello!” The 23 Uzbek participants who attended the Seminar on Trade Facilitation for Uzbekistan waved their hands and greeted the AIBO team via video link in their not-so-skilled Chinese. This heartwarming scene was recorded in the online meeting and in each other’s memory. It was a wonderful afternoon on May 11, 2022, with sunshine outside the window and joyful laughter inside, the Seminar on Trade Facilitation for Uzbekistan successfully started. After the opening ceremony, the AIBO seminar coordinators spent an unforgettable 20 days online together with 23 Uzbek participants.
Group photo of the opening ceremony
“Amity between people” starts with the youth.
“China is an important and reliable strategic partner of Uzbekistan,” Shakhnazarov Timur, born in 1995, said firmly at the opening ceremony as participant representative. Mr. Timur works at the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan. He is one of the youngest participants in the Seminar and the most active participant. At the opening ceremony, he spoke with great enthusiasm on behalf of all the participants of this Seminar and stressed several times that China is the main partner of Uzbekistan in the field of trade and economic cooperation, as well as an important and reliable strategic partner. During the 20-day seminar, he attended all the sessions and actively interacted with Chinese experts. As a representative of the youngest generation of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, he has unique insights into international trade and cross-border e-commerce and a passion for Chinese culture. In the special lecture on “Traditional Chinese Culture”, his performance was indeed impressive. He not only accurately answered the speaker’s questions about tea art and festival customs, but also took the lead in singing the Chinese song “Jasmine Flower” with the speaker. When asked why he knew so much about China, he told us that he had visited China in 2019 and attended a 14-day seminar organized by AIBO, where he acquired the knowledge and experience shared by Chinese experts and developed a deep affection for China. This time, when he saw the online seminar enrollment notice, he didn’t hesitate to sign up with his colleagues. Though he was unable to visit China this time, it was equally beneficial to exchange ideas with the speakers online.
As Chinese President Xi Jinping once put it, “Amity between the people holds the key to sound state-to-state relations, which shall start from the youth” Young people serve as the pillar of national development and an active force in international exchanges. In this Seminar, two-thirds of the participants were born in the 1990s, so were many working staff of the AIBO seminar executive team. Young people of similar age from the two countries share the same aspirations and minds and yearn to join the great cause of national development and rejuvenation. Young people from both sides take this Seminar as an opportunity to deepen understanding of each other’s history and culture, as well as to carry on the baton of friendship for generations, which will become a vital force for the development of China-Uzbekistan relations and regional prosperity and progress.
Mr. Timur attended seminar organized by AIBO in 2019
Nothing, not even mountains and oceans, can separate people with shared goals and vision.
During the ice-breaking session of this Seminar, Mr. Shukurullo from the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, dressed in his customs uniform, actively participated in the discussion. He warmly showed and introduced the meaning of various decorations on Uzbek customs uniforms. He sincerely welcomed the seminar coordinator to visit his hometown, and looked forward to the arrangement of this Seminar. During the seminar, Mr. Shukurullo took meticulous notes and communicated with the speakers attentively. In particular, in the session introduced by Mr. Wang Donghong from the General Administration of Customs, he asked questions several times and made isa special Q&A session. After the session, both Mr. Shukurullo and other participants expressed the gratitude to the speaker. They said, “The pandemic separates us by distance, but it cannot cut off our eagerness to learn from Chinese experience. We never expect to be able to connect and communicate with Chinese experts so unhindered during the COVID-19 pandemic. We thank AIBO for holding this Seminar, which opens a window for us to better understand China and learn from China’s experience.” For some questions that were not answered due to limited time, the seminar coordinators translated the speaker’s reply into Russian for Mr. Shukurullo. After the closing ceremony, the AIBO seminar working staff received an email from him, asking whether he could continue to seek advice after the Seminar. Our response to this question is “Да (Of course you can)”!
Nothing, not even mountains and oceans, can separate people with shared goals and vision. People-to-people amity is the most profound and long-lasting interconnection. As Vice President of AIBO Mr. Liu Rutao said in his closing speech, “This Seminar is about to end, but our friendship will endure.” AIBO is willing to maintain long-term contact with all participants and work together seminar participants to contribute to the deepening of practical cooperation with other developing countries in various fields so as to enhance the common welfare of mankind.
Shukurullo took notes attentively
Shukurullo interacted with the lecturer
It Takes Ten Years to Grow Trees and a Hundred Years to Nurture Talents.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Uzbekistan. AIBO and embassies of both sides paid great attention to the organizing of the seminar. During the Seminar, Mr. Sun Zhonghe, President of AIBO, was invited to hold a virtual meeting with H.E. Farhod Arziev, Uzbek ambassador to China. During the meeting, Ambassador Arziev quoted a classic saying from Quanxiu chapter of the Book of Master Guan·, “When planning for a year, there is nothing like growing crops; when planning for a decade, there is nothing like planting trees; when planning for a lifetime, there is nothing like nurturing talents.” He praised highly the contribution of AIBO in sharing China’s experience through foreign aid training programs and helping Uzbekistan strengthen capacity building. According to President Sun, AIBO actively practices the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, adheres to the goal of “passing on fishing skills rather than handing out fish”, and vigorously promotes capacity building for developing countries. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Uzbekistan. AIBO is willing to work with the Embassy of Uzbekistan in China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, foster the connection between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan, strengthen cooperation in human resources development, and advance stable and profound bilateral relations.
President Sun Zhonghe and Ambassador Arziev held a virtual meeting
Navoi, a famous Uzbek poet, once wrote in his poem, “May our people live with happiness and prosperity.” This is the common goal and eternal pursuit of China and Uzbekistan. From 2018 to 2021, more than 4,000 Uzbek participants attended the foreign aid training programs on various topics. Mountains are the cumulation of soil, and oceans are the cumulation of water. It is in this step-by-step way that foreign aid training breaks through intellectual barriers, gains conceptual recognition, gathers development consensus and keeps enhancing people-to-people connection and amity, so as to gather vigorous strength and hope for building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Behind the success of each seminar is the thorough preparation and hard work of all sides. Here, we would like to express appreciation to Counsellor Jin Yulong, Secretary Zhao Peng and other colleagues in the Economic and Commercial Office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Uzbekistan for their efforts and support for our work, and best regards to all our overseas colleagues who persevere in their work posts and make personal sacrifices during the pandemic for the sake of others!
