On May 22, 2012, Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping met with Safaev, visiting Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Cheng extended welcome for Safaev's visit to China and thanked for his long-standing efforts for promoting bilateral relations. Cheng said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 20 years ago, bilateral friendly and cooperative partnership has maintained healthy and stable development. Bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, energy, security, cultural and other fields is fruitful. Parliamentary cooperation is an important part of bilateral relations and has great potential. He hoped that the two sides will maintain close high-level contacts and continue to promote the bilateral friendly and cooperative partnership to a new level.

Safaev thanked Cheng for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet him, emphasizing that Uzbekistan attaches great importance to bilateral relations and is deeply satisfied with the great achievements made in bilateral ties. He pointed out that high-level contacts between both sides have played an important role in this regard. He pledged Uzbekistan is ready to further expand exchanges and cooperation between the two parliaments and in other areas so as to push forward bilateral relations.