The commitment to the historical traditions of friendship and mutual trust is reaffirmed in Turkmenistan and China

The millennia-long history of contacts and communication between the ancestors of the Turkmen and Chinese peoples, as one of the solid foundations of the modern relations between the two states, was reaffirmed during the recent working visit of the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, to the People’s Republic of China.

It is well known that the devotion of Turkmenistan and China to their historical roots, their immensely rich cultural, material, and spiritual heritage, serves not only as a core element of their domestic policies but is also carried into the sphere of international cooperation. This is particularly evident in the nature and substance of Turkmen-Chinese bilateral relations. In both Turkmenistan and China, emphasis is always placed on loyalty to the historical traditions of friendship and mutual trust, and on the recognition that the present level of mutual understanding is founded on a profound, millennia-old basis of good-neighborliness, respectful communication, and mutual knowledge.

Throughout the process of the formation of a unified Chinese empire, it consistently maintained the closest contacts with the ancient ancestors of the Turkmen - the Oguz as well as the Xiongnu, Massagetae, Parthians, Göktürks, and other peoples. The two great Asian civilizations—the Turkic and the Chinese—were always in contact with each other, concluding dynastic marriages and alliances, engaging in trade, and exchanging military and cultural achievements. During palace ceremonies, Oguz envoys were seated next to the Chinese emperor. A Chinese-Turkic dictionary was compiled, though unfortunately it has not survived to the present day. More than 10,000 Oghuz families resettled in China. Under the influence of the Oghuz, an eighth-century fashion for all things Turkic—music, clothing, and more—emerged in China.

Equally well known is the fact that the emperor of China was once presented with the “heavenly horses”—the famous Akhal-Teke steeds.

These are but a few examples attesting to the process of synthesis of political cultures that unfolded over centuries. To a large extent, this process predetermined the essence of Turkmen-Chinese interstate economic and humanitarian relations in the modern era. In this context, the President of Turkmenistan rightfully stated that today Turkmenistan and China are loyal friends, strategic partners, and like-minded states whose relations cannot be viewed apart from the deep historical context shaped over centuries of a special, unique type of interaction.