Karimov died on Friday at the age of 78 after being hospitalised following a stroke on August 27, the Uzbek government confirmed.
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In the general elections on December 30 the same year, he was elected president of Uzbekistan.
In a break with usual protocol, most countries were represented by prime ministers or ministers rather than presidents.
Thousands of people gathered on the streets of Samarkand, Karimov’s hometown, to bid farewell to the President, who had ruled the country for more than a quarter of a century.
Mirziyoyev, who is in charge of the funeral committee, appreciated Beijing for sending a high-level delegation to attend Karimov’s funeral.
Meanwhile, China’s foreign ministry called Karimov “a honest friend” who promoted a strategic partnership between the two countries.
Reuters reported shortly after 4 a.m. ET that the 78-year-old had died of a stroke, citing three diplomatic sources.
The end of Karimov’s monolithic presidency leaves no apparent successor, as well as concern that the ensuing political uncertainty could leave an opening for Islamic extremists to coalesce.
He did not choose an heir, but Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev has been designated mourner-in-chief – seen as an indication that he may take over.
Thousands of Uzbeks lined up along Tashkent’s main thoroughfare at dawn on Saturday as Karimov’s funeral cortege made its way through the city. However, observers say the head of the Uzbek senate is regarded as unlikely to seek permanent power and Karimov’s demise is expected to set off a period of fighting for political influence.
His rule saw the country emerge from the collapsing Soviet Union to become an independent nation.
He was the first president of Uzbekistan since the country gained independence in 1991.
At Tashkent airport, as the coffin was being loaded onto a plane bound for Samarkand, Karimov’s wife, Tatiana, and his younger daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, stood at the foot of the aircraft steps.
During his brutal quarter-century rule – which rights groups say relied on torture and forced labour – Karimov earned a reputation overseas as one of the region’s most savage despots who ruthlessly crushed any criticism.
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Former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, accused Karimov’s security forces of executing two dissidents by boiling them to death.
