In Tajikistan, there are over 300 projects involving China and more than 70 joint factories and plants. One of them is the Dushanbe cement plant, which began operations at the end of last year. Here, they produce sulfate-resistant cement used in the construction of hydroelectric power stations. The plant itself is built using the most advanced technologies and is fully automated, BigAsia reports.
"Previously, at the old plant, we produced cement using outdated wet methods. This process was too costly because many kilns were involved. Now, we produce using the dry method, and only one kiln is used. The volumes remained the same, but fuel costs have been reduced significantly," said Abdurakhmon Davlatov, the chief engineer of the cement plant.
Along with the increase in the number of joint ventures, the volume of Chinese investments in Tajikistan's economy is also growing. Over the past 15 years, the amount has exceeded $3 billion, with a third of this amount being direct investments. They play an important role in achieving the goal of sustainable development through the industrialization of the republic.
Rahmon Ulmasov, a professor at the Department of Foreign Regional Studies at the Russian-Tajik Slavic University, says, "China's role in the development of the Tajik economy is very significant. The main thing done by our great neighbor - with China's help, we have emerged from transport isolation. Thanks to the excellent roads we have, we can attract any investor from around the world."
Experts believe that mutually beneficial cooperation between Tajikistan and China in the field of high technology will continue to gain momentum. In the near future, a joint car assembly plant will be built in Tajikistan.
The total volume of foreign investment inflows into Tajikistan's economy over the past 15 years has amounted to about $11 billion. In particular, nearly $5 billion came in as direct investments, over $500 million as portfolio investments, and around $5.7 billion as other investments (loans and grants).
These funds have come from 65 countries worldwide, with China, Russia, Britain, the United States, and Kazakhstan holding a relatively high share.
China remains Tajikistan's main investor, accounting for almost a third of the inflow of foreign investments into Tajikistan over the past 15 years.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
March 27, 2024