Good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers in "great power diplomacy" are vivid portrayals of China-Kyrgyzstan relations - an interview with Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Du Dewen

Beijing, 19 Sep (CNBC) -- According to a report by the Voice of China of the Central Radio and Television Corporation in its "60 Minutes at Noon," this year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. On the afternoon of the 17th, President Xi Jinping attended the 21st meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO member states by video in Beijing and delivered an important speech. Xi Jinping pointed out that he believes that the growing "SCO family" will advance hand in hand with all progressive forces in the world and jointly be the builders of world peace, contributors to global development and defenders of international order.

Kyrgyzstan is one of the founding members of the SCO. Over the past 20 years, Kyrgyzstan has conscientiously fulfilled its obligations as member states and made due contributions to the development of the organization. At the same time, in the nearly 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Kyrgyzstan relations have withstood the test of the international situation and have always maintained the momentum of healthy and stable development.

On September 19, the special program "Diplomacy of Major Powers" broadcast "Good Neighbors, Good Friends, Good Partners and Good Brothers are a Vivid Portrayal of China-Kyrgyzstan Relations - Interview with Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Du Dewen".

Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Du Dewen (Source: Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan)

Reporter: Hello Du Da, thank you for accepting our exclusive interview. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and President Xi Jinping attended the 21st meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO member states in Beijing this Friday and delivered an important speech. First of all, please give me a brief review of the development of the SCO in the past 20 years.

Du Dewen: On June 15, 2001, the heads of state of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed the Declaration on the Establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Shanghai, announcing the birth of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. In the 20 years since its establishment, the SCO member states have always adhered to and vigorously promoted the "Shanghai Spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and common development, and played an important role in maintaining regional security and stability and promoting regional cooperation and development. In 2017, the SCO completed its first expansion, India and Pakistan became new members of the organization, and the SCO became the world's largest and most populous comprehensive regional cooperation organization. In addition to the 8 member states, the SCO also has 4 observer states and 6 dialogue partners, and the influence of the SCO is constantly expanding, and its international status and prestige are also constantly improving.

AMBASSADOR DU, Kyrgyzstan is one of the founding member states of the SCO. How do you evaluate the important role that Kyrgyzstan plays in the framework of the SCO?

Du Dewen: As one of the founding member states of the SCO, Kyrgyzstan has always conscientiously fulfilled its obligations as a member state, committed itself to developing friendly and cooperative relations with other countries, and made due contributions to the development of the organization. The field of security is an important direction of cooperation in the SCO. Since its establishment, the organization has resolutely cracked down on the "three forces" such as the "East Turkestan Islamic Movement" that threatens the security and stability of the region. Kyrgyzstan was one of the first countries to propose the establishment of an anti-terrorist structure in the SCO region. Kyrgyzstan also attaches great importance to economic and trade, tourism, people-to-people cooperation and people-to-people exchanges under the framework of the SCO. Standing at a new starting point, we believe that the SCO will achieve new developments and that the cooperation between China and Kyrgyzstan under the framework of the SCO will also achieve new results.

CNBC: In a telephone conversation with Kyrgyz President Zaparov in February this year, President Xi Jinping pointed out that China is willing to work with Kyrgyzstan to grasp the general trend of development of bilateral relations and push the China-Kyrgyzstan comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level. Ambassador Du, we all say that China and Kyrgyzstan are good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers. How do we understand these four "good" in China-Kyrgyzstan relations?

Du Dewen: Good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers are a vivid portrayal of the relations between China and Kyrgyzstan. On the eve of his state visit to Kyrgyzstan in June 2019, President Xi Jinping published a signed article entitled "Let the Tree of Friendship Between China and Kyrgyzstan Evergreen" in the mainstream media of Kyrgyzstan, officially proposing four "good" for the first time. As early as 2,000 years ago, the ancient Silk Road opened the history of friendly exchanges between the two peoples. In January 1992, China established diplomatic relations with the post-independence Kyrgyzstan, and the relations between the two countries entered a new stage of development. In the past 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Kyrgyzstan relations have withstood the test of the changing international situation and have always maintained the momentum of healthy and stable development. Under the strategic guidance and personal promotion of the leaders of the two countries, China-Kyrgyzstan relations have achieved a historical leap from good-neighborliness and friendship to strategic partners to comprehensive strategic partners. At present, China-Kyrgyzstan relations are at the highest level in history, and the two countries have become good neighbors who look at each other, good friends who learn from each other, good partners in win-win cooperation, and good brothers who trust each other. Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kyrgyzstan, and I believe that with the joint efforts of both sides, the China-Kyrgyzstan comprehensive strategic partnership will continue to achieve new results and make greater contributions to the development and revitalization of the two countries and regional peace and stability.

Reporter: Ambassador Du, what is the current progress of economic and trade cooperation between China and Kyrgyzstan, and what are the main characteristics?

Du Dewen: Economic and trade cooperation is an important force for promoting the in-depth development of the China-Kyrgyzstan comprehensive strategic partnership. For a long time, China-Kyrgyzstan economic and trade cooperation has formed the following characteristics: First, the rapid development of bilateral trade. Since Kyrgyzstan's independence, the scale of trade between China and Kyrgyzstan has been continuously expanded and the level has been continuously improved, and China has maintained the status of Kyrgyzstan's largest trading partner and the largest source of imports for many years. However, due to the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, in 2020, the trade volume between China and Kyrgyzstan has dropped sharply, and now the two sides are working together to continuously improve the ability of ports to transit goods and gradually restore the level of economic and trade cooperation. Second, investment cooperation has continued to increase. In recent years, China has been a major source of FDI from Kyrgyzstan. China's direct investment has injected vitality into kyrgyzstan's real economic development, created a large number of jobs, and achieved good economic and social benefits. Third, there are many highlights of cooperation in jointly building the "Belt and Road". The two sides have actively promoted the construction of international backbone channels, which has effectively promoted the facilitation of trade and transportation. With the support and assistance of the Chinese government, the Kyrgyz side has used Chinese aid and loans to implement a number of people's livelihood projects in Kyrgyzstan, which have brought well-being to the Kyrgyz people and consolidated the public opinion foundation for friendship between the two countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges to China-Kyrgyzstan economic and trade and other pragmatic cooperation, and we believe that with the joint efforts of China and Kyrgyzstan, China-Kyrgyzstan economic and trade cooperation will certainly be able to overcome difficulties and usher in a new era of high-quality development.