China and Uzbekistan Deepen Security Ties at Mechanism Talks in Nanjing

China and Uzbekistan held the second meeting of their bilateral Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Mechanism on September 23 in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. Co-chaired by Chinese domestic security chief Chen Wenqing and Uzbek Security Council Secretary Viktor Makhmudov, the talks advanced commitments following an August meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The two governments agreed to intensify operational alignment against the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism, and extremism, crack down on cross-border telecommunications fraud and gambling, enhance joint cybersecurity efforts, and safeguard overseas infrastructure connected to the Belt and Road Initiative.

Central Asia is a critical geopolitical corridor and security buffer on China's western periphery. By institutionalizing bilateral law enforcement ties with Tashkent, Beijing aims to harden defensive posture against regional instability while expanding police cooperation into modern transnational threats, including cybercrime syndicates and financial fraud. The dialogue also highlights an evolving priority for Chinese foreign policy: establishing formal, bilateral security architecture to protect Chinese-backed infrastructure, supply chains, and personnel abroad.

China and Uzbekistan convened the second meeting of their bilateral Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Mechanism on September 23 in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, according to reports published by Xinhua and People's Daily. The conference was jointly chaired by Chen Wenqing, a member of the CCP Central Committee Political Bureau and Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, alongside Viktor Makhmudov, Secretary of the Security Council under the President of Uzbekistan. The bilateral mechanism focused on upgrading operational law enforcement coordination. Chen noted that 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Uzbekistan. He emphasized that the talks followed up on an August 31 meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, where the leaders charted a roadmap for an "all-weather" comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era. During the session, Chen outlined key functional priorities for bilateral cooperation. He stated that both countries should fully leverage the mechanism's role by strengthening counterpart exchanges between security departments and continuing cooperation against the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism, and extremism. Chen also called for deepening joint enforcement against transnational crimes, highlighting telecommunications and online fraud, cross-border gambling, and cybersecurity maintenance. In addition, he emphasized expanding joint work to protect overseas interests and coordinate within multilateral frameworks to support high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. Makhmudov stated that Uzbekistan is prepared to implement the consensus and outcomes reached during the conference. He affirmed that Tashkent aims to open new ground in bilateral law enforcement and security cooperation, contributing to the defense of mutual security interests and the broader bilateral partnership. The formal mechanism meeting followed a preliminary bilateral session between Chen and Makhmudov on September 22 in Nanjing, during which the two security officials exchanged views on the international security landscape and broader bilateral defense and security cooperation.