Uzbek delegation visits Xinjiang textile factory, praises AI innovation

An Uzbek delegation visits a local textile factory in Urumqi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on November 4, 2025, to learn more about the potential cooperation between China and Uzbekistan in the sector ahead of the 12th China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum. Photo: Chen Qingqing/GT

As the 12th China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum is set to open in Urumqi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Thursday, a delegation from Uzbekistan visited an intelligent textile factory in the western suburbs of the city on Tuesday, which highlighted growing cooperation between China and Central Asian countries across various sectors.

Members of the delegation expressed strong interest in Xinjiang's textile industry and its advanced production technologies. According to factory staff, artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to play an increasingly important role in textile manufacturing in the future. Machines powered by large AI models can achieve self-perception, self-learning and self-judgment, allowing for optimal production decisions. With AI empowerment, a spinning factory that once required thousands of workers could eventually operate with a mere 10 percent of its original workforce.

The delegation showed great enthusiasm for the application of AI in industrial production and its future potential.

Deputy Director of the Department Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction of Uzbekistan Mukhtor Shonazarov told the Global Times on Tuesday that China's technological progress has been remarkable and serves as a valuable reference.

"China has made tremendous achievements in technological advancement, and we hope that this can also help our country," Shonazarov said. "We look forward to introducing new technologies, which I believe will benefit both sides. Many people from this city have already visited Uzbekistan, and I've personally made some friends here. Our cooperation has already begun to deepen. I believe such exchanges and collaboration will further promote economic development — and cooperation in AI will bring even greater momentum."

During the second China-Central Asia Summit held in Astana in June, China and five Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - agreed to promote a more just and equitable international order by advancing an equal and orderly multipolar world, and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The summit also identified future cooperation priorities, decided to establish three cooperation centers on poverty reduction, education exchange and desertification prevention and control, as well as a cooperation platform on smooth trade, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told at a press conference on June 18.

Cooperation will focus on six prioritized fields — smooth trade, industrial investment, connectivity, green mining, agricultural modernization and personnel exchanges, Guo said.

Speaking of industrial cooperation between China and Uzbekistan, for example, in textile industry, Shonazarov said that some advanced equipment from the factory in Urumqi that he visited on Tuesday has already been introduced to several Uzbek cities, including Samarkand and Namangan.

"I have visited these sites several times and witnessed firsthand the high efficiency of these machines," he said. "I believe that cooperation between our two countries in cotton and cotton-processing industries will not only yield positive economic results but also improve the overall quality of our products."

The Uzbek official also praised the Belt and Road Initiative as an "excellent and visionary" framework that has greatly deepened ties between China and Central Asian countries.

"The BRI is indeed a very good initiative," the official said. "Our country has participated in it for several years, and this cooperation has not only strengthened relations between China and Uzbekistan but also enhanced economic connectivity across Central Asia."