Chinese President Xi Jinping (R)

Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Saturday that his country is ready to pursue common development with Tajikistan and pass on the bilateral friendship from generation to generation.
Xi made the remarks when meeting with Tajik Lower House Speaker Shukurjon Zuhurov as part of his state visit to the Central Asian country.
The Chinese leader hailed his candid and in-depth talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon held earlier in the day, during which extensive consensus has been reached on deepening bilateral ties and pushing forward across-the-board cooperation.
The two sides also agreed that advancing the China-Tajikistan strategic partnership featuring win-win cooperation and enduring friendship is in the fundamental interest of both countries and peoples, Xi said.
China upholds the guidelines of "amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness" in its neighborhood diplomacy, Xi said, proposing that China and Tajikistan seize upon opportunities to keep promoting their strategic partnership to a higher level.
Xi stressed that China is ready to strengthen legislative exchanges and cooperation with Tajikistan and implement a five-year plan for the development of China-Tajikistan strategic partnership.
The two countries should learn from each other's experiences in legislature, supervision and governance, and provide legal guarantee for their practical cooperation, Xi said.
They should also actively promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges to deepen the friendship between the two peoples, he added.
Zuhurov said China is a good neighbor and good partner for Tajikistan, and that the Tajik people thanked China for its assistance and support for the Central Asian country.
China's development is an important opportunity for Tajikistan, Zuhurov said, adding that Tajikistan is willing to board China's train of development and march forward shoulder by shoulder with China.
The Tajik Lower House hopes to strengthen exchanges with the National People's Congress of China to actively promote the development of Tajikistan-China relations, he said.
Tajikistan is the first leg of Xi's four-nation Asia trip, which will also take him to the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India.