The multi-thousand-year history of contacts between the ancestors of the Turkmen and Chinese serves as one of the strong pillars of modern relations between the two countries. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan following the recent working visit of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to China.

As noted in the department’s report, Turkmenistan and China’s commitment to their historical roots, rich cultural, material and spiritual heritage is not only the core of domestic state policy, but is also carried over by both countries into the realm of international cooperation.

"Turkmenistan and China always emphasize their loyalty to the historical traditions of friendship and mutual trust," the statement says. It points out that the current level of mutual understanding is based on a deep, thousand-year-old foundation of good neighborliness.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, throughout the formation of the unified Chinese empire, it was in close contact with the ancient ancestors of the Turkmens – the Oghuz, Huns, Massagets, Parthians, Gok-Turks and other peoples. The two largest civilizations of Asia – the Turkic and Chinese – entered into dynastic marriages and alliance treaties, traded and exchanged military and cultural achievements.

It is noted that during palace ceremonies, Oghuz ambassadors sat next to the Chinese emperor. A Chinese-Turkic dictionary was compiled, which has not survived to this day. More than 10 thousand Oghuz families moved to China. Under the influence of the Oghuz, a fashion for Turkic music and clothing arose in China in the VIII century.

The fact of sending "heavenly horses" to the emperor of China - the famous Ahal-Teke horses - is well known, the report adds.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that these examples testify to the process of synthesis of political cultures that has taken place over the course of centuries and has largely predetermined the essence of Turkmen-Chinese interstate relations in the modern era.

“In this context, the President of Turkmenistan rightly stated that Turkmenistan and China today are true friends, strategic partners and like-minded people, relations between which cannot be considered in isolation from the deep historical context formed over centuries of a special, unique type of relationship,” the department noted.