The Uzbekistan National Pavilion (Hangzhou, China) opens in Binjiang district. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_53a2f3f3158e]

The Uzbekistan National Pavilion (Hangzhou, China) opened on Dec 2 in Binjiang district, becoming a new platform for cultural, economic and trade cooperation between China and Uzbekistan in fields such as e-commerce, the internet, IoT and AI.

Sherzod Narzullaev, consul general of Uzbekistan in Shanghai, and Wang Yongfang, director-general of the Hangzhou municipal bureau of commerce, attended the ceremony and delivered remarks. Narzullaev said the pavilion signals a new stage in bilateral cooperation and will support Uzbekistan's development in trade, investment and tourism.

The opening comes amid deepening ties between the two sides. Uzbekistan became a BRICS partner country in January and in July, Hangzhou International Airport opened Zhejiang's first direct cargo route to Uzbekistan, following the launch of the province's first direct passenger flight earlier this year.

The new pavilion is expected to boost bilateral trade and exchanges. In 2026, reception centers will be established in Tashkent and Samarkand to facilitate Chinese business visits. The pavilion will also work with Uzbekistan's Ministry of Culture and Tourism to host a large-scale Chinese Influencers Visit Uzbekistan campaign, inviting 100 influencers with millions of followers to produce travel and food content in the country.

The Hangzhou pavilion is expected to become a new milestone in the growing partnership between Hangzhou and Uzbekistan and a fresh case of Hangzhou's contribution to BRICS economic cooperation.

Sherzod Narzullaev, consul-general of Uzbekistan in Shanghai, delivers remarks at the opening ceremony. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_53a2f3f3158e]