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Backgrounder: Key facts about China-Kyrgyzstan relations

Xinhua, November 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang left Beijing on Wednesday for an official visit to Kyrgyzstan.

During his stay in the country's capital Bishkek, Li will attend the 15th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) prime ministers' meeting.

With a long-time friendship, China and Kyrgyzstan have enjoyed a boost of vital economic and cultural exchanges in recent years. The following are some major figures and facts about China-Kyrgyzstan relations.

Kyrgyzstan and the People's Republic of China forged diplomatic relations on Jan. 5, 1992.

The two countries upgraded their relations to a strategic partnership during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the central Asian country in 2013. Their trade and economic cooperation has hence been raised to a new level.

According to Kyrgyzstan's official data, trade exchange between the two nations in the first half of 2016 reached 672 million U.S. dollars, up 60 percent year-on-year.

China is now ranked as Kyrgyzstan's largest trade partner, largest source of import and the seventh export market.

Besides the vitality in bilateral trade and economic exchanges, civil and cultural exchanges between the two countries have also witnessed fruitful results.

So far, there are four Confucius institutes in Kyrgyzstan and four colleges offer Chinese language classes. Thousands of students in the country are learning the Chinese language and more and more choose to study in China.

Several Chinese companies are engaging in infrastructure construction such as building roads and power stations in Kyrgyzstan. The central Asian country plays an important role in the Silk Road Economic Belt and is a vital supporter to China's Belt and Road Initiative. Endi