Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov sign cooperation documents during the seventh meeting of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 16, 2026. Ding held talks with Meredov, and co-chaired with Meredov the seventh meeting of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said here Thursday that China is willing to work together with Turkmenistan to fully leverage the role of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee and, following the grand blueprint drawn by the leaders of both countries, promote high-quality development of their all-round cooperation.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in talks with Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov. They also co-chaired the seventh meeting of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee.

Ding said that China and Turkmenistan are comprehensive strategic partners with high mutual trust, noting that the two countries have made fresh advances in natural gas cooperation, maintained steady economic and trade cooperation, strengthened connectivity, deepened people-to-people exchanges, and achieved notable progress across various fields.

Ding said that China will work with Turkmenistan to strengthen high-level political guidance, enhance coordination and planning, and translate the important consensus of their leaders into concrete results. He urged the two sides to accelerate the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Turkmenistan's Revival of the Great Silk Road strategy, expand natural gas cooperation, optimize bilateral trade structures, and foster new drivers of cooperation growth.

The two sides should also strengthen mutual support, properly address risks and challenges, and work together to better safeguard their security, development, as well as regional peace and stability, he added.

For his part, Meredov said that under the guidance of the two countries' leaders, Turkmenistan and China have continuously deepened and expanded their comprehensive strategic partnership, bringing bilateral relations to a historic high.

He said that Turkmenistan stands ready to work with China to consolidate traditional friendship, fully implement the important consensus reached by the two countries' leaders, take natural gas cooperation as a strategic and flagship priority, expand practical cooperation in artificial intelligence, transportation, modern agriculture, and other fields, and promote the sustained development of bilateral relations. 

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov and co-chairs with Meredov the seventh meeting of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 16, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)