On March 4, 1993, a friendly provincial agreement connected the inland province of Hunan in central China with the Tashkent Oblast in Uzbekistan, located at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains and on the banks of the Syr Darya River. More than thirty years later, this friendship that transcends mountains and seas has taken on a new footnote: in September, in Changsha, Deputy Governor of Tashkent Oblast Jahangir Mamachonov led a delegation to the 2026 Hunan International Friendship City Economic and Trade Activity and Cooperation Dialogue, where they sat with representatives of government agencies, chambers of commerce, enterprises, and diplomatic missions from 28 countries, seeking new opportunities for cooperation between the two regions.

Friendship city holds hands for 30 years

Tashkent Oblast is located at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains and on the banks of the Syr Darya River. It is an important commercial hub on the ancient Silk Road and the most developed province in Uzbekistan's economy. It has free economic zones such as Angren and has a strong foundation in industries such as machinery manufacturing, metallurgy and electricity, cotton textiles, food processing, and building materials.

For over thirty years, distinct Hunan elements have taken root locally. The Xiangou Express connects the railway logistics channel from Changsha to Tashkent, allowing Hunan produced equipment and light industrial products to reach the hinterland of Central Asia directly; From the ancient Silk Road to the joint construction of the the Belt and Road, the two places are linked by sister cities, promoting each other's economy and trade and people to people exchanges. At present, Hunan's sister city cooperation has reached the provincial, municipal, and county levels, and has established 120 pairs of international sister cities with 120 cities in 47 countries and regions, promoting more than 2300 Hunan enterprises to enter 113 countries and regions.

28 countries gather in Changsha

This dialogue is supported by the People's Government of Hunan Province and will be held in Changsha from September 18th to 20th. It is the first large-scale economic and trade event with the theme of sister cities held in Hunan, and representatives from 28 countries and regions gathered on the land of Sanxiang.

Mamachonov delivered a welcome speech at the opening ceremony. All parties are focusing on expanding trade, economy, investment, and regional cooperation between Uzbekistan and various regions of China, and discussing the implementation of new joint projects with leading Chinese enterprises to further strengthen direct contacts between the two regions. For Tashkent Oblast, this 28 country dialogue platform also brings multilateral opportunities to connect with regional representatives of third countries, further opening up the space for regional cooperation.

From Dialogue to Project

During the event, industry themed conferences, promotional events, and B2B negotiations were held. The attendees had in-depth exchanges on developing investment cooperation, establishing direct contacts between enterprises and regional representatives, and developing new joint projects. Previously, the 132.5MW/265MWh energy storage project constructed by CRRC Zhuzhou in Uzbekistan has become a landmark project of cooperation between the two parties. Hunan enterprises such as Yuanda Air Conditioning and Jinbei Electric have also continued to deepen their efforts in local energy storage, photovoltaics, and new city construction.

This dialogue provides a platform for strengthening trade and investment ties between Hunan and foreign regions, and identifying new areas of cooperation. After the meeting, all parties reached an agreement to further develop regional connections and expand pragmatic cooperation between representatives of Uzbekistan and China.

From friendship circles to cooperation circles and concentric circles, Tashkent Oblast and Hunan are transforming their more than 30 years of friendship into logistics channels, landing projects, and tangible common benefits.Editor/Yang Meiling