Friendly communication between China and Central Asian countries is rooted in the distant past. Ever since Zhang Qian’s mission to the Western Land in the Han Dynasty, the peoples of China and Central Asia have been closely linked by the ancient Silk Road.
Today, more than 30 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the countries of Central Asia, the traditional relations have been preserved and continue to be updated, especially since the implementation of the One Belt, One Road initiative, which has given great vitality and impetus to our cooperation. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Fundamental Principles of China-Tajikistan Relations. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, they have developed on the basis of constant breakthroughs, in which the parties were “first” in several respects.
China was one of the first to recognize Tajikistan’s independence and establish diplomatic relations with it; Tajikistan was one of the first to support the joint implementation of the One Belt, One Road initiative and signed documents on cooperation with China. The two sides have made it their mission to implement the initiative and declared their joint commitment to building a common development community and a security community. In recent years, under the strategic leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Emomali Rahmon, China and Tajikistan have continuously strived to make new progress in political mutual trust, practical cooperation, humanitarian and cultural exchanges. The richness of Sino-Tajik interstate relations has reached an unprecedented historical level of development.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past decade, Sino-Tajik practical cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results. Despite the adverse effects of the epidemic and the upheavals on the international scene, bilateral trade and economic cooperation has developed, showing great stability and vitality. According to Chinese customs statistics, trade between China and Tajikistan reached 2.6 billion U.S. dollars last year, up 40 percent from last year. China has always maintained its status as one of Tajikistan’s most important trading partners.
China remains the main source of investment in the Tajik economy. The two countries have jointly implemented a number of important assistance and cooperation projects in strategic areas such as transport, energy and industry. The implementation of projects for government and parliament buildings of Tajikistan is progressing steadily. Construction of the Kalaihumb-Vanj-Rushan section of the second stage of the highway connecting China and Tajikistan is also proceeding according to plan. This project will fundamentally solve the problem of some “obstruction” of traffic between the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region and the capital, and also promote the interconnection between China and Tajikistan. At the same time, Chinese companies continue to invest in social projects in Tajikistan, increasing investment in the construction of schools, kindergartens and other public educational institutions.
People in China and Tajikistan are showing an increased interest in each other’s language and culture. The number of students from the two Confucius Institutes and students from Tajikistan in China continues to grow, the first in Central Asia “Lu Ban Workshop-Studio” was opened in Tajikistan, creating a new platform to improve vocational training and employment, as well as opening a new space for bilateral educational and humanitarian cooperation.
The first “workshop-workshop named after Lu Ban” in Central Asia was opened in Tajikistan
Faced with the constant evolution of the international scene, the Xi’an summit testifies to the unanimous will of China and the countries of Central Asia to work together to create a community of common destiny, and broadcasts even more clearly the leitmotif of our times – peace, development and cooperation. I hope that as the series of consensuses reached at the Summit are systematically implemented, Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan, will take their cooperation with China to a new level, which will bring even more benefits to the peoples of both countries.
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