Tajikistan and China has agreed to conduct joint counter-terrorism military exercises at least once every two years, says a draft government-government agreement between Tajikistan and China posted on the Justice Ministry’s legal information website.
The draft agreement notes that the main purpose of the exercises is to strengthen and further develop strategic partnership.
Another goal of conducting joint military exercises is reportedly in increasing the levels of coherence of the counter-terrorism formations, interaction between special formations and training of special formations of the two countries.
The parties conduct drills at least once every two years and the initiating party notifies another party of conducting military exercises no later than six months before the start of the exercises.
“The Parties shall independently bear the costs associated with the execution of this Agreement, unless otherwise agreed in each particular case,” the draft agreement says. .
The Interior Ministry will sign the agreement on behalf of the Government of Tajikistan.
It is to be noted that Tajikistan and China have conducted several joint counter-terrorism military exercises to date.
A three-day military exercise for Tajik and Chinese servicemen was conducted at Mumirak military range in Khatlon province on September 14-16, 2006. The exercise focused on international terrorism, dealing with crises, and strengthening each country's capacity to handle new challenges and threats. The purpose of the exercise was to rehearse cooperation and interaction in counterterrorism operations.
In June 2015, over 100 servicemen from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security reportedly joined special operations forces from the Tajik Interior Ministry and practiced coordinating in a mountainous counter-terror operation.
In October 2016, Tajikistan and China conducted joint bilateral military exercises in the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO). Tajikistan's Ministry of Defense reported that the exercise involved 10,000 troops, but that the Chinese contingent was only a "mobile company."
In September 2016, Tajikistan announced that China would build 11 border guard posts along the border with Afghanistan, as well as a border guard training center.
And earlier 2016, China and Tajikistan, along with Afghanistan and Pakistan, created a "Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism" to jointly combat terror.
In August 2019, Tajikistan and China conducted joint counter-terrorism exercise, dubbed Cooperation-2019, at the Jilondi training range in the GBAO. About 1,200 troops from both sides reportedly joined the exercise, which lasted from August 7 to August 16.
In October last year, Tajik parliament endorsed an agreement, under which China will build a special base in Wakhan Gorge, GBAO’s Ishkashim district.
Tajik MP Tolibkhon Azimzoda told reporters at that time that the base is being built at the request of the government of Tajikistan.
