Tajikistan and China are strengthening and deepening economic cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, Chinese Ambassador to Tajikistan Ji Shumin said at a round table dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the signing of the joint declaration "Basic principles of Chinese-Tajik relations," Avesta reports.
The statement was made at the Friendship and Cooperation Center of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tajikistan in Dushanbe.
The Chinese diplomat noted that the document, which was signed in March 1993, is a milestone and plays a fundamental and guiding role for the sustainable, healthy and stable development of Chinese-Tajik relations.
The level of political mutual trust continues to rise, and in 2007 the parties signed the “Treaty of Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation between China and Tajikistan”. Later in 2017, relations between the two countries were raised to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership.
The alignment of the state development strategies of the two countries is proceeding steadily according to plan, which gives a strong impetus to bilateral business cooperation, Ji Shuming said.
Today, China is one of the most important trade partners of Tajikistan. According to China's customs statistics, trade between the countries reached about $2.6 billion last year, up nearly 40% from a year earlier.
In addition, China is the largest source of foreign investment in Tajikistan. From January to September 2022, Chinese investment accounted for almost 40% of the total foreign investment in Tajikistan.
The Chinese diplomat also touched upon humanitarian cooperation and noted the interest of the citizens of Tajikistan in the Chinese language.
Currently, more than 2,600 students study at two Confucius Institutes in Tajikistan, and more than 2,800 students from Tajikistan continue their studies at universities in China.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
March 6, 2023