The President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping was on a state visit to Tajikistan on July 4-6.
The Tajik president’s official website says that during this visit, high-level meetings and negotiations between Tajikistan and China, meeting of the heads of state and official delegations of the two countries resulted in signing of 29 new documents of cooperation, including an important document – Joint Statement of the Republic of Tajikistan and the People's Republic of China on further deepening of comprehensive strategic relations in a new phase.
The Tajik president’s official website says President Xi on July 5 awarded the "Friendship Medal," China's highest state honor for foreigners, to President Rahmon. The ceremony marks the first time this prestigious award has been presented outside of China.
Also, on the sidelines of the state visit of the Honorable Xi Jinping, an important and memorable event –opening of the new buildings of the Parliament of Tajikistan and the Government of Tajikistan – was held in Dushanbe, which is considered to be a good result of cooperation between the two countries and a great example of friendship and neighborly relations between Tajikistan and China.
Meanwhile China’s Xinhua reports that President Xi noted during the talks that China will remain steadfast in promoting friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation with Tajikistan and said that China will firmly support Tajikistan in following a development path that suits its national conditions, firmly support the efforts of Tajikistan to safeguard its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firmly support the various political arrangements and development measures in Tajikistan put forth by President Rahmon.
China firmly opposes interference in Tajikistan's internal affairs under any excuse by any external force. No matter how the international landscape changes, China will always be a trustworthy friend, a reliable partner and a close brother of Tajikistan, Chinese leader was quoted as saying.
According to Xinhua, China has long been Tajikistan's largest source of investment and major trading partner, with the two-way trade nearing 4 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.
Ten years ago, China and Tajikistan signed a memorandum to build the Silk Road Economic Belt, making Tajikistan the first country to do so under the Belt and Road Initiative.
During their talks on July 5, Rahmon reportedly said Tajikistan is willing to take the implementation of the outcomes of Xi's visit as an important opportunity to further promote Belt and Road cooperation, deepen cooperation in connectivity, agriculture, critical minerals, new energy and other fields, so as to accelerate the country's industrialization and modernization.
A number of China-Tajikistan joint projects have been implemented, including a cement plant in Yovon, an agriculture technology demonstration center in Khatlon, and an agriculture and textile park in Danghara, which have helped upgrade Tajikistan's industrial technology and created thousands of local jobs.
Premium green produce of Tajikistan such as cherries, lemons and grapes has steadily made its way to Chinese households and is quite popular among Chinese consumers.
When the two leaders jointly met the press following their talks, President Xi said China is ready to import more quality products from Tajikistan and continuously upgrade the quality and scale of China-Tajikistan economic and trade cooperation, according to Xinhua.
The Republic of Tajikistan and the People's Republic of China have friendly relations characterized by bilateral and multilateral collaboration.
The two countries established formal relations on January 4, 1992, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. As the leader of Tajikistan, now-President Emomali Rahmon first visited Beijing in March 1993.
Tajikistan and China are active members of regional and international organizations and as a result, they closely cooperate within the frameworks of these organizations, particularly within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Because it has a border with China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region (XUAR), Tajikistan's political stability is very important to China. China firmly supports Tajikistan's efforts to preserve its national security and stability, and it also helps Tajikistan develop its economy.
The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Dushanbe has been functioning since March 13, 1992 and the Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan in Beijing was established on April 7, 1997.
The legal foundation of the relationship between the two countries includes more than 200 interstate and intergovernmental agreements.
