国内英语新闻:Chinese president wraps up Central Asia trip

ASTANA, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao wrapped up his Central Asia trip Saturday after visiting Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and attending a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.

Hu started his trip Wednesday in Tashkent, where he and his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov exchanged views on the current situation and prospects of bilateral ties as well as international and regional issues of common concern.

The two leaders signed a joint statement on the further development of the friendly and cooperative partnership between China and Uzbekistan.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (7th L) and other participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit pose for a group photo in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, on June 11, 2010

Hu and other SCO leaders met in Tashkent on Friday for the annual SCO summit. They discussed strategies for safeguarding security and stability, and increasing pragmatic cooperation in the region.

At the summit, Hu delivered an important speech, calling for deepening practical cooperation and maintaining peace and stability in the region. He also put forward a series of proposals for intensifying cooperation within the SCO framework.

Founded in 2001, the SCO consists of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, India, Pakistan and Iran have observer status.

From Tashkent, Hu travelled to Astana for his second visit to Kazakhstan in six months. He paid a working visit to the Central Asian country last December.

In Astana, Hu and his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, discussed ways to advance the China-Kazakhstan relations and enhance pragmatic cooperation. They also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.

Political analysts say Hu's Central Asia trip is conducive to promoting the SCO's sustained, healthy and stable development and strengthening China's ties with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.