Interview: Chinese, Tajik heads of state spearhead rapid growth of bilateral ties, says ambassador

DUSHANBE, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China-Tajikistan relations have reached new heights, with strategic leadership of the two heads of state playing a key role, Chinese Ambassador to Tajikistan Ji Shumin said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

China is willing to work together with Tajikistan to comprehensively implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and benefit both countries and their peoples, Ji said.

Tajikistan is a good neighbor and a comprehensive strategic partner of China, and their peoples have a long history of friendly exchanges, Ji said.

After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, bilateral relations entered a period of rapid development, 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 President Xi's visit to Tajikistan in 2019, the two sides agreed to jointly build a China-Tajikistan development community and security community.

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 (BRI) proposed by President Xi in 2013 and to sign related cooperation agreements with China, said the Chinese ambassador.

Thanks to the strong impetus of the BRI, a series of China-Tajikistan cooperation and aid projects have been implemented in key areas such as infrastructure, metallurgy, energy, cement, and the cotton textile industry, playing a vital role in Tajikistan's economic and social development, Ji said.

From 2013 to 2023, trade between China and Tajikistan doubled, said the ambassador, adding that China has become the largest source of investment for Tajikistan and one of its main trading partners.

Against the backdrop of aligning China's BRI with Tajikistan's National Development strategy 2030, both sides plan to promote cooperation in trade, finance, tourism, transportation and communication, ecology, culture, and artificial intelligence, Ji said.

Measures will also be taken to further promote 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.

They will strengthen cooperation in regional transportation infrastructure connectivity and enhance the role of the intergovernmental committee on economic and trade cooperation between the two countries and its sub-committee for economic and trade cooperation between China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Tajikistan's neighboring regions.

"The space for practical cooperation between China and Tajikistan is broad, and the prospects are promising," he said.

China and Tajikistan firmly support each other on issues concerning their core interests, Ji noted, adding that both countries have suffered from the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism, and separatism and advocate for a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept.

China is willing to work together with Tajikistan to maintain peace, further strengthen cooperation in combating the "three forces," and ensure the common security of China and Tajikistan and long-term stability in the region, Ji added.