The National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (NHRC) hosted a meeting between First Deputy Director of the NHRC Mirzatilla Tillabaev and a delegation from Peking University led by Shi Yue, Director of the Center for Central Asian Studies, Deputy Dean of the Institute of Country and Regional Studies, and Associate Professor at the School of Foreign Languages.

The meeting, held on 12 June, was organized at the official request of the Institute of Country and Regional Studies of Peking University. The visit of the seven-member delegation from Peking University took place within the framework of the field research project “The Silk Road: Past and Present”, on the theme “Economic Cooperation between China and Uzbekistan and the Mutual Enrichment of Civilizations”, which is being carried out from 10 to 22 June 2026 in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.

During the conversation, the Chinese side was briefed on the key directions of the reform strategy of New Uzbekistan, including its experience in legal modernization, the protection of human rights and freedoms, poverty reduction and sustainable development.

The Chinese side showed particular interest in Uzbekistan's experience

in developing national human rights strategies, reducing poverty, and advancing Uzbek-Chinese relations within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Representatives of Peking University highlighted in particular the measures being taken in the area of poverty reduction, including the introduction of a targeted social support system for families in need, the implementation of programs to boost employment and develop entrepreneurship in the mahallas (local neighborhood communities), the expansion of public access to education, healthcare and basic infrastructure, as well as efforts to ensure interfaith peace and harmony in society.

In the view of the Chinese side, poverty reduction has been identified in Uzbekistan as one of the priorities of the “Uzbekistan – 2030” Strategy and is regarded as inextricably linked to safeguarding socio-economic human rights. The Chinese researchers noted the resonance of this experience with China's own practice of targeted poverty alleviation and expressed interest in conducting joint research devoted to a comparative analysis of the two countries' models for combating poverty.

It was emphasized that, thanks to Uzbekistan's open and constructive foreign policy, the region has been transformed into a space of good-neighborliness, trust and partnership: a regular mechanism of consultative meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia has been established, and steadily growing stronger are trade and economic, transport and communication, and cultural and humanitarian ties.

The Chinese side highly commended the Fourth "China – Central Asia" Human Rights Development Forum, held on

13–14 May 2026 in Tashkent, noting its exceptional significance as a platform for equal dialogue on human rights, development and the mutual enrichment of civilizations. In Shi Yue's view, the Forum vividly demonstrated the maturity and independence of the Uzbek-Chinese academic community in addressing the human rights agenda, while its being held on Uzbek soil is regarded by Chinese scholars as evidence of Uzbekistan's leading role in shaping the regional discourse on human rights.

It was noted that, within the framework of the Forum on Global Human Rights Governance currently taking place in Beijing, China's fifth National Human Rights Action Plan for 2026–2030 has been presented, encompassing the comprehensive development of all categories of rights: economic, social, cultural, civil and political. The right to development has been recognized as a fundamental priority. The strategy is based on advancing rights through development, so as to ensure equal access to opportunities and the fair distribution of benefits in order to achieve common prosperity. The document devotes particular attention to education, research, global governance, environmental rights and new areas of protection.

The head of the delegation highly praised the experience accumulated by the National Center in the academic study and practical protection of human rights, noting that Uzbekistan's systematic approach to legal modernization arouses genuine interest within the Chinese academic community as a distinctive and effective model of reform oriented towards human dignity and interests. Shi Yue particularly emphasized that the publication prepared by the NHRC, “Contemporary China and New Uzbekistan: Human Rights, Development and Strategic Partnership”, has become a further contribution to comparative jurisprudence and sets the tone for future joint research.

The Peking University delegation expressed its readiness to develop long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation with the National Center in a number of priority areas, in particular the provision of Peking University's academic materials to the "House of Human Rights" information and resource center, participation in the Fifth Samarkand Human Rights Forum, and also invited representatives of the NHRC to visit Peking University in connection with the Beijing Forum scheduled for November this year.

Press Service of the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan

for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan