On March 4, 2020 local time, Yang Jiechi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, gave an interview to the media at the end of his visit to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Yang Jiechi said, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are China's friendly neighbors and important strategic partners. They are also the founding members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and the heads of state of the three countries, China's relations with the three countries have achieved leap-frog progress. During the visit, I had the opportunity to meet with President Emomali Rahmon, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and hold talks with relevant officials of the three countries. We mainly coordinated and made arrangements on advancing the important agenda and practical cooperation in the next phase for bilateral relations and exchanged in-depth views on international and regional issues of common concern. The three heads of state noted that they cherish their personal friendship and good working relationship with President Xi Jinping and will work with the Chinese side to firmly support each other, strengthen strategic coordination, safeguard common security and development interests, and promote the building of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation. They all agreed to take the implementation of the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and the three heads of state as an opportunity to further promote the alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative and development strategies of the three countries, further cement connectivity cooperation, and translate willingness and potential for bilateral cooperation into tangible results, so as to promote China-Tajikistan, China-Uzbekistan and China-Kazakhstan relations for constant, new and greater development, inject new impetus into each country's and regional development and better benefit our peoples and people of the world.

Yang Jiechi thanked the three countries for offering support and assistance to China's fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak. He noted, under the personal command and deployment of President Xi Jinping, China has given play to its institutional strengths and the Chinese people are united as one with the determination and strength to fight against the epidemic. We have launched a people's war to fight and win the battle against the epidemic by mobilizing all resources, and blocking the spread of the virus. We have scored important phased-achievements and the positive trend of the epidemic prevention and control is constantly expanding. We have strengthened communication and coordination with the World Health Organization and the international community in a timely manner, shared relevant information and experience, and made important contributions to the world's fight against the epidemic, which has been widely recognized and highly appreciated by the international community. In the face of the epidemic, all countries are a community of common destiny sharing weal and woe. Solidarity is the most powerful weapon. The Chinese side will continue to uphold the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, strengthen international cooperation on public health security and work tirelessly for the health and well-being of people of all countries.

Yang Jiechi said, maintaining security, stability, and prosperity in Central Asia is the high consensus between China and the countries in Central Asia. The Chinese government has always developed its relations with Central Asian countries in line with its neighborhood policy featuring amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. The deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides benefits the people's livelihood, conforms to the people's willingness and wins the hearts of the people, and it cannot be undermined by any force outside the region. Any attempt to alienate China's relations with Central Asian countries will not succeed. China and Central Asian countries have a history of friendly exchanges lasting more than 2,000 years and the common pursuit of achieving our respective national rejuvenation. We believe that China's cooperation with Central Asia will usher in a better tomorrow in the new era.