S8k8 slotino-Tajik ties reach new heights, says envoy

With the strategic direction set by the leaders of China and Tajikistan, bilateral relations have entered a phase of rapid advancement, Beijing's top envoy in Dushanbe said.

Ahead of the third state visit by President Xi Jinping to the Central Asian country, Chinese Ambassador to Tajikistan Ji Shumin said during an interview that Sino-Tajik relations have reached new heights, with the strategic leadership of both heads of state playing a pivotal role.

The diplomat expressed China's readiness to collaborate with Tajikistan in fully executing the agreements made by President Xi and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, aiming to bring mutual benefits to both nations and peoples.

Calling Tajikistan a valuable neighbor and a comprehensive strategic partner of China, Ji said the people of the two countries have a long history of friendly exchanges.

After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, under the strategic guidance of Xi and Rahmon, bilateral relations have transitioned into a phase of swift advancement, Ji said.

In 2013, the two countries announced the establishment of a strategic partnership. In 2017, the relationship was upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership. During Xi's visit to Tajikistan in 2019, the two sides agreed to jointly build a China-Tajikistan community of development and security.

In 2023, the two presidents jointly announced the building of a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity and mutual benefit.

Under the strategic leadership of the two heads of state, both countries have set the goal of building a community with a shared future, providing a clear direction for bilateral relations, Ji said.

Tajikistan was among the first countries to support the Belt and Road Initiative, which was proposed by President Xi in 2013, and to sign related cooperation agreements with China, he noted.

Thanks to the robust momentum of the BRI, a range of collaborative endeavors and assistance initiatives between China and Tajikistan have been carried out in crucial sectors such as infrastructure, metallurgy and energy. These projects have significantly contributed to Tajikistan's economic and social progress, Ji said.

Between 2013 and 2023, trade between the two neighbors doubled, and China has emerged as Tajikistan's primary investment source and a key trading partner during this period, he added.

Against the backdrop of aligning the BRI with Tajikistan's National Development Strategy for the period through 2030, both sides aim to enhance cooperation in trade, finance, tourism, transportation, communication, ecology, culture and artificial intelligence, Ji said.

Further steps will be taken to boost bilateral trade, diversify trade categories, explore trade potential, strengthen cooperation under the Silk Road e-commerce framework, and discover new opportunities for trade and innovation cooperation between the two countries, he added.

"The scope for tangible collaboration between China and Tajikistan is extensive, with promising prospects ahead," he said.