TASHKENT, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- From electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing to green energy and regional railway, Uzbekistan's cooperation with China is increasingly translating high-level political trust into tangible economic gains, an Uzbek expert has said.
Eldor Tulyakov, executive director of the Development Strategy Center of Uzbekistan, a think tank, made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua.
As bilateral engagement enters a broader and deeper stage, Tulyakov highlighted that cooperation with China has worked to advance the Central Asian country's national development goals.
"Political trust creates favorable conditions, and practical work gives it substance," he said.
"The tangible results of cooperation are most visible where enterprises are already operating, infrastructure has been built, and new professions have emerged," he added.
Trade, investment and joint ventures, he said, have all grown substantially in recent years, with both sides setting more ambitious targets ahead.
Tulyakov said investment delivers the greatest long-term value when it strengthens local capacity.
"The significance of such projects goes beyond the finished product," he said, pointing to the demand they create for engineering expertise, maintenance, components and services.
He applied the same logic to connectivity, citing the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, which is under construction.
Its strategic value extends far beyond logistics. "For businesses, it means easier access to markets. For regions, it creates opportunities for auxiliary industries," he said.
In his eyes, the railway's true value "lies in terminals, streamlined customs procedures and coordinated action among neighboring countries."
On people-to-people exchanges, Tulyakov highlighted the role of vocational education and the bilateral mutual visa-free regime.
Educational exchanges, he noted, should be seen both as an investment in trust and as the cultivation of talent for joint projects.
"A student who learns the language and gains cross-cultural experience better understands the business environment," he said. "Those skills will directly serve research, entrepreneurship, diplomacy and industry."
Tulyakov highlighted the Treaty on Eternal Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation signed at the second China-Central Asia Summit, as well as joint efforts within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization framework.
"This sends a clear signal to society and businesses alike that the parties intend to develop relations consistently and with a long-term perspective," he said. ■
