Ding Xuexiang held talks with Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister Mridov and co-chaired the seventh meeting of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on April 16, 2026, local time, Ding Xuexiang, member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, held talks with Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Meredov in Ashgabat and co-chaired the seventh meeting of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee. Ding Xuexiang expressed that China and Turkmenistan are highly trusted comprehensive strategic partners. In recent years, President Xi Jinping and the leaders of Turkmenistan have maintained close exchanges, providing strategic guidance for the development of China-Turkmenistan relations. The two countries have achieved outstanding results in natural gas cooperation, stable development of economic and trade cooperation, significantly enhanced connectivity, deepening people-to-people exchanges, and significant achievements in various fields of cooperation. Ding Xuexiang emphasized that China is willing to work with Turkmenistan to fully leverage the role of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee, promote high-quality development of all-round cooperation in accordance with the grand blueprint outlined by the leaders of the two countries. Strengthen high-level political leadership, coordinate planning, and translate important consensus of leaders into tangible cooperation results. Accelerate the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Silk Road Economic Belt strategy. Intensify natural gas cooperation, optimize the trade structure between the two countries, actively cultivate new areas of cooperation growth. Increase mutual support, properly respond to risks and challenges, better safeguard the security and development of both countries, as well as regional peace and stability. Meredov stated that under the navigation of the leaders of both countries, the comprehensive strategic partnership between Turkmenistan and China continues to deepen and expand, reaching the highest level in history. Turkmenistan is willing to consolidate traditional friendship with China, fully implement important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, make strengthening natural gas cooperation a strategic and flagship direction, enhance practical cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, transportation, modern agriculture, and advance continuous development of the bilateral relationship. During the meeting, Ding Xuexiang and Meredov signed the "General Agreement on Basic Principles of Cooperation in the Natural Gas Sector between China and Turkmenistan", the "5-Year Cooperation Plan between China and Turkmenistan Governments", the "Minutes of the Seventh Meeting of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee", and witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in the fields of culture, transportation logistics, artificial intelligence, technology, education, and traditional medicine.