Tajikistan and China sign $8 billion in new cooperation deals

Tajikistan and China signed more than 50 agreements worth more than $8 billion during President Emomali Rahmon’s visit to Beijing, deepening economic ties and reinforcing China’s role as Tajikistan’s leading investor and creditor. 

The cooperation marks one of the largest bilateral investment packages between the two countries in recent years.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon began a four-day state visit to China on 11 May at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, underlining the rapidly expanding political and economic alignment between Dushanbe and Beijing.

While Tajik authorities say part of the agreements had been prepared earlier during a specialised IT forum, details surrounding the projects, financing mechanisms and implementation timelines remain undisclosed. Nevertheless, the scale of the deals further reinforces China’s dominant position in Tajikistan’s economy at a time when the country is already heavily reliant on Chinese capital, infrastructure financing and strategic support.

During meetings with executives and representatives of major Chinese companies in Beijing, Rahmon described Tajikistan as a “reliable partner” and an attractive destination for foreign investment.

Tajik officials stressed that China has already become the country’s leading investor. According to official figures, total Chinese investment in Tajikistan’s economy has approached $6 billion, including approximately $3.5 billion in direct investment.

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Rahmon also noted that Tajikistan attracted nearly $7 billion in foreign investment last year alone, with around $900 million, or 12.5% of the total, originating from China. These figures further cement Beijing’s role not only as Tajikistan’s largest investor, but also as its principal external creditor.

Tajik authorities are increasingly promoting the country’s geographical position as a strategic asset within emerging regional transport and energy corridors linking China with South Asia and the Middle East. Rahmon presented Tajikistan as a key transit component in a broader Eurasian connectivity framework, pointing to ongoing construction of roads and power transmission infrastructure connecting the country with neighbouring states.

The economic relationship between the two countries is already deeply embedded in Tajikistan’s development agenda. More than 300 state investment projects worth an estimated $13 billion are currently being implemented across the country, many of them involving Chinese contractors. At the same time, more than 700 Chinese-funded companies are operating in Tajikistan in sectors ranging from industry and construction to services and raw material extraction.

Beyond economics, cooperation between Dushanbe and Beijing has steadily expanded into security and political coordination. Analysts note that among Central Asian states, Tajikistan arguably maintains the most advanced relationship with China across multiple areas of engagement. Security cooperation has become particularly significant given Tajikistan’s proximity to Afghanistan and its role in securing the region’s southern borders.

China has increasingly supported Tajikistan in border security matters, including through grants aimed at modernising border infrastructure and checkpoints. Beijing has also expanded its influence through grant-funded public projects, including the construction of major government buildings in the Tajik capital.

The official agenda of Rahmon’s visit includes discussions on political dialogue, trade expansion, green energy and digitalisation, while both sides are also expected to exchange views on broader regional and global challenges. Yet behind the language of strategic partnership lies a broader geopolitical reality: as Chinese investment becomes increasingly central to Tajikistan’s economic model, Dushanbe’s dependence on Beijing’s financial and political agenda continues to deepen.

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