"China is our sea", Kyrgyz commentator

The state visit by President Xi Jinping to Kyrgyzstan is expected to improve bilateral ties between the two countries and to enhance their trade cooperation.

Almambet Shikmamatov is a legislator in Kyrgyzstan. He says President Xi Jinping's trip is a significant occasion, and shares his hopes that the visit will enhance bilateral investments in some major projects.

An undated photo shows Ala-Too Square, the main square in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. [File Photo: IC]

"The visit by President Xi Jinping is of great importance. In the past couple of years, China and Kyrgyzstan have jointly conducted multiple projects. The two sides have mapped out a series of plans for long-term investments. And I believe the visit by President Xi will boost bilateral investments, and also enhance cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. "

China remains Kyrgyzstan's largest trade partner and its biggest foreign investor. Trade between the two countries was worth 5.6 billion U.S. dollars last year.

Du Dewen, who is China's ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, says the two countries will focus on creating favorable conditions to expand their trade ties.

"Chinese products that are affordable and good quality are quite popular in Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile, agricultural products from Kyrgyzstan have also begun to gain recognition among Chinese consumers. In the future, we will work together to improve bilateral trade and make business transactions more convenient."

The ambassador adds that Kyrgyzstan, as one of the first countries to sign up to the Belt and Road Initiative, sees the initiative as a great opportunity to help the country achieve its target for economic growth.

Mars Sariev is a political commentator in Kyrgyzstan. He explains that the development of Kyrgyzstan has been hindered by its geography, as it's located far from the sea. But he believes that enhancing cooperation with China helps his country to find more business opportunities, which in turn helps to break the bottleneck in economic growth.

"The visit by President Xi Jinping will hugely improve bilateral ties between China and Kyrgyzstan. Although we don't have an outlet to the sea, we look to our neighbor China as our sea, because China is able to offer a lot of development opportunities. The future of the country is deeply connected with China. The infrastructure projects and the Belt and Road Initiative offer more opportunities for our country's prosperity."

Ambassador Du Dewen says President Xi's visit trip is expected to accelerate the implementation of key cooperation projects, including upgrades to roads in the capital, Bishkek, and an overhaul of a major agricultural irrigation system.

The two neighbors will also step up cooperation at the local level, particularly between border regions.