China intends to expand cooperation with Tajikistan in the field of security and economy

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon on Monday.

According to media reports, during the meeting on October 19 in Dushanbe, Li Qiang expressed a desire to expand cooperation with Tajikistan in the field of security. He also stated Beijing’s readiness to develop cooperation in the areas of digital economy and artificial intelligence.

Li Qiang arrived in Tajikistan on an official visit to participate in the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.

According to the Chinese state publication CGTN, Beijing fully supports the leadership of Tajikistan in this direction.

The official agency “Xinhua” reported that Li Qiang described the relationship between the two countries as a “deep friendship” that will always be viewed from a strategic and long-term perspective. The Premier called for strengthening political trust between the parties, protecting mutual interests, and enhancing the quality of cooperation.

In the economic sphere, China aims to increase the volume of bilateral trade. Beijing is also ready to cooperate in infrastructure, environmentally friendly minerals, and road construction to create new sources of economic growth.

Li Qiang emphasized that countries should cooperate with Tajikistan in law enforcement and security. According to him, countries should strengthen the exchange of intelligence information and data. Li Qiang stated that Tajikistan and China should jointly combat the “three forces of evil” – terrorism, separatism, and extremism, as well as ensure lasting peace and stability in the region.

The Chinese Premier also called for “decisive measures” to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and enterprises in Tajikistan.

During the negotiations with the President of Tajikistan, the Chinese Premier stated that China is ready to cooperate with Tajikistan to promote higher quality development of the SCO, as well as to develop cooperation within the framework of the United Nations, the “China-Central Asia” mechanism, and other multilateral mechanisms.

As reported by Reuters, China has long been concerned that instability in Central Asia could affect the western region of the country – Xinjiang. Xinjiang is populated by Uyghurs, most of whom are Muslims. Beijing accuses Uyghur militants of a number of attacks in Xinjiang. Human rights organizations accuse China of repression against Uyghurs and restricting their religious, cultural, and linguistic rights. China completely denies allegations of violating the rights of the region’s residents.

Before this, Li Qiang traveled to Uzbekistan. At the same time, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Samarkand on Sunday and held meetings and negotiations with the foreign ministers of five Central Asian countries.

Experts note that Central Asia is becoming a battleground for the U.S. and China. Both countries are trying to gain access to the region’s mineral resources. Washington’s attention is more focused on Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, while Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are less of a focus in U.S. policy in Central Asia.

It is still unclear whether the Trump administration’s goal is limited to selling aircraft and other American-made goods or if it also intends to invest large sums in the region. China’s objectives, however, are clear: Beijing is primarily expanding the market for its products and strengthening its own security through increased investments and economic influence in Central Asia.

The region has no access to the sea and is too far from the U.S. For this reason, it is unknown what share of the Central Asian market the U.S. will be able to capture and whether it can compete with China.

Tajikistan and China share a border that runs through remote mountainous areas. It is one of the key zones for Chinese investments.

At the end of last year, five Chinese citizens were killed in Tajikistan. According to authorities, the attack was carried out from the territory of neighboring Afghanistan.