Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 16, 2026. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said here Thursday that China is willing to, based on the principle of mutual benefit, continuously expand the space for cooperation with Turkmenistan and work together for development and prosperity.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

Ding first conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings and best wishes, and said that Xi met twice with Berdimuhamedov last year, charting a new blueprint for the development of bilateral relations. China-Turkmenistan relations are rooted in a history of friendly exchanges spanning over 2,000 years, and mutual support is the core essence of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, he said.

Ding said that China will always support Turkmenistan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as in pursuing a policy of permanent neutrality, and will remain a trustworthy partner for Turkmenistan.

China also hopes that Turkmenistan will continue to provide firm support on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns, he added.

He said that the "Two Sessions" of China reviewed and approved the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development, bringing more opportunities to countries around the world, including Turkmenistan.

Ding said the two sides should deepen natural gas cooperation and create new highlights of practical cooperation in areas such as connectivity, trade and investment, and scientific and technological innovation, so as to deliver tangible benefits to the people of both countries.

Berdimuhamedov asked Ding to convey his sincere greetings to Xi, noting that Turkmenistan highly values its comprehensive strategic partnership with China, sincerely admires China's development achievements, and is ready to work with China to actively implement the consensus reached by both sides.

He said that Turkmenistan will continue to prioritize natural gas cooperation, strengthen practical cooperation in infrastructure, high technology, agriculture, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, security and other fields, and elevate bilateral relations to a new level.

Berdimuhamedov said Turkmenistan highly commends the four global initiatives proposed by Xi, and will firmly support China in hosting the third China-Central Asia Summit next year.