My name is Azamat. I am now an advisor to the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Vice-President of Kyrgyzindustria OJSC. I am responsible for external liaison, and we have many Chinese partners, so Chinese is my common working language. Friends from Chinese enterprises often ask me, "Azamat, why are you so fluent in Chinese?" ，and my answer is that I have a deep connection with China.

From 2008 to 2019, I spent 11 years in Beijing. First, I came to Beijing Language and Culture University for undergraduate study through a cooperation program between Bishkek Humanities University and China. Later, I was admitted to Tsinghua University for both master's and doctoral degrees.When I was first admitted to university in 2007, there were English and Chinese departments to choose from. At that time, my good friend was studying Chinese in Shanghai, and with his influence, I embarked on the journey of learning Chinese. These 11 years had been a time of deepening my understanding of Chinese culture and history, and also laid the foundation for my future career.

At the time, there was no direct flight available from Bishkek to Beijing. I often made transfers in Urumqi, but I usually stayed at the airport and had no chance to see the city. After completing my studies, I returned to Kyrgyzstan and joined the Kyrgyzindustria OJSC. In May 2023, the month when the China-Central Asia Summit was held, I had the opportunity to accompany Vice Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan to Xinjiang, China. I noticed that the Urumqi airport was building a new terminal, and what surprised me even more was that residential buildings had already been built in a new district of Urumqi. China and Kyrgyzstan share two border ports in Xinjiang, and the third border port, Biedieli Port, has been opened this year, so I am very optimistic about the prospects for cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and China’s Xinjiang.

As for Kashi, I have long been hearing that it is a beautiful city. When I walked into the ancient city of Kashi and saw with my own eyes the ancient buildings with ethnic characteristics and the handicrafts of various nationalities, I was deeply attracted by them. During our trip to Xinjiang in May 2023, we reached a consensus on cooperation with enterprises in Kashi.

China’s consumer market is huge, and the Kyrgyz Cabinet and the Ministry of Agriculture strongly encourage Kyrgyz companies to export their products to China. And the Kyrgyzindustria OJSC has been working closely with Chinese enterprises since its inception.

As a Chinese language learner, I hope I can become a ‘bridge’ between Kyrgyzstan and Chinese enterprises including that of Xinjiang, and bring more opportunities for bilateral cooperation. Xinjiang boasts a unique charm resulting from the integration of different ethnic cultures and kind people, and I hope we can find more partners here, so that I have more opportunities to visit this beautiful place.

Baiyshbekov Azamat, vice-president of Kyrgyzindustria OJSC.

Planner: Jie Wenjin

Reviewers: Hou Weili and Cheng Li