According to Iraf, the official visit of Emomali Rahmon at the invitation of Xi Jinping in Beijing, which began on May 11, led to one of the most extensive packages of cooperation between the two countries in the past three decades.
In this meeting, Tajikistan and China signed 31 new agreements across various fields, which officials from both sides say redefine the framework of long-term cooperation.
Everlasting Friendship and Strategic Partnership Treaty
The most important document signed was the Treaty of Everlasting Friendship, Good Neighborliness, and Strategic Partnership, which elevates relations between Dushanbe and Beijing beyond routine cooperation into a stable and structured partnership.
The treaty emphasizes political, security, and economic cooperation and identifies joint efforts against terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking as key pillars of collaboration.
Expansion of Economic Cooperation
China remains Tajikistan’s largest trading partner, with more than 700 Chinese companies operating in the country.
During the visit, companies from both sides signed more than 50 economic contracts worth over $8 billion.
These agreements cover:
– Mining and green minerals
– Development of new industries and emerging technologies
– Investment in solar energy and infrastructure projects
– Expansion of transport and regional transit cooperation
Transport Corridors and Transit
One of the key discussion points was the development of new transit routes.
The launch of the first China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan–Tajikistan container train, along with progress on the China–Tajikistan–Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan–Iran–Turkey–Europe multimodal corridor, could significantly strengthen Tajikistan’s position in the regional transit network.
Security Cooperation
In the security field, both countries agreed to deepen cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and bilateral agreements.
China had previously financed the construction of nine border posts along Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan, and this cooperation is now entering a deeper phase.
In conclusion, Emomali Rahmon’s visit to China and the signing of 31 new agreements signal an unprecedented deepening of Dushanbe–Beijing relations.
The “Everlasting Friendship and Strategic Partnership” treaty sends a clear message: the two countries intend to transform their cooperation into a long-term, multi-layered, and strategic partnership that could reshape the geopolitical balance of Central Asia in the coming years.
