OMM Newsroom
Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Tajikistan on Sunday for an official visit and a regional summit. Security, trade and transport links are high on the agenda as Beijing seeks to strengthen ties with Central Asia, AnewZ reports.
Li arrived in Dushanbe at the invitation of Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda. According to the Information Office of China’s State Council, Rasulzoda and other senior officials welcomed him at the capital’s international airport.
The visit follows Li’s trip to Uzbekistan and comes ahead of a planned visit to Russia. Beijing is expanding high-level diplomatic engagement across the region.
Li is attending the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Leaders are discussing cooperation in trade, transport, energy and economic development.
Founded in 2001, the SCO initially focused on regional security issues but has since become a major platform for political and economic cooperation across Eurasia. For China, which borders Central Asia through its Xinjiang region, the organization is one of the main forums for discussing cross-border security threats.
Tajikistan lies along Central Asia’s mountainous southern frontier, borders Afghanistan and is close to trade routes that could connect China with Central and South Asia.
Security remains a priority in relations between Beijing and Dushanbe. Against the backdrop of instability along the Afghan border and concerns over past attacks targeting Chinese citizens in Tajikistan, China has called for closer cooperation on counterterrorism, intelligence sharing and law enforcement.
According to Chinese state media, Li called for stronger security ties during talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon on Monday.
China’s growing role in Tajikistan’s economy
The visit also highlights the rapid expansion of economic ties between Beijing and Dushanbe. China is Tajikistan’s largest investor and one of its main trading partners, supporting projects in infrastructure, mining, manufacturing, agriculture and transport.
Chinese-funded highways, railway tunnels and industrial facilities have helped improve Tajikistan’s transport network and expand its industrial capacity.
Bilateral trade has risen sharply over the past three decades, from less than $9 million in 1993 to about $1.96 billion in 2024, according to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Chinese investment plays an important role in Tajikistan’s development plans, particularly in natural resources, industrialization and regional transport corridors.
High-level visits strengthen bilateral ties
Diplomatic contacts have helped strengthen relations between the two countries. During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Tajikistan in July 2024, Beijing and Dushanbe elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era. The move laid the groundwork for closer cooperation in the economic, political and security fields.
Rahmon visited China in May 2026. The sides signed additional cooperation agreements and discussed opportunities to expand investment and business ties.
The talks covered Tajikistan’s efforts to attract foreign capital and develop transport and energy infrastructure, as well as opportunities for Chinese companies in a country with significant hydropower potential and mineral resources.
For landlocked Tajikistan, closer economic ties with China offer an opportunity to diversify trade routes, attract investment and improve access to regional markets. For Beijing, the partnership supports efforts to expand economic ties in Central Asia and develop transport corridors linking western China with markets to the west and south.
The SCO gives China and Tajikistan a broader platform to advance these goals alongside other regional powers. Member states have repeatedly called for deeper economic integration, improved infrastructure and stronger security cooperation. However, differences in countries’ priorities and levels of development pose challenges.
Li’s visit will continue until Oct. 20. After the meeting in Dushanbe, he is expected to travel to Russia to attend the 31st regular meeting between the Chinese and Russian heads of government.
The visit reflects Beijing’s efforts to expand its influence in Central Asia while strengthening diplomatic and economic partnerships across Eurasia. The meetings in Dushanbe give China and Tajikistan an opportunity to advance a partnership built on shared security concerns and growing economic ties.
