BEIJING — China and Uzbekistan have signed a protocol to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, finance and communications within the Silk Road Economic Belt framework, the Ministry of Commerce announced on June 17 in a statement.

The cooperation protocol was signed by China’s Vice Commerce Minister Zhong Shan and Uzbekistan Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade Elyor Ganiev in Rizhao, east China’s Shandong province, during the third meeting of the China-Uzbekistan intergovernmental committee of cooperation on June 15.

China and Uzbekistan will develop mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation and give priority to bulk commodities, infrastructure, renovation projects and industrial parks.

The Silk Road Economic Belt is part of the Belt and Road Initiative, the international trade and infrastructure projects proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.