Page 6 - AsiaElec Week 37 2022

AsiaElec INVESTMENT AsiaElec

Chinese, Tajik presidents

commit to more cooperation

CHINA CHINESE President Xi Jinping and Tajik coun- with prospects of loan defaults, because the alter-
terpart Emomali Rahmon on September 15 native of Tajikistan collapsing into a new civil
signed deals on bilateral cooperation in the fields war or similar is much more costly,” said Marina
of the digital economy, green development and Rudyak, a scholar at Heidelberg University’s
transportation when they met on the sidelines Institute of Chinese Studies.
of the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organ- The two presidents exchanged views on the
ization (SCO) annual summit in Samarkand, situation in Afghanistan at their encounter.
Uzbekistan. Though Afghanistan has SCO observer nation
At the meeting, Xi said China and Tajikistan status, the Taliban leadership in Kabul was not
should maintain solid support for one another invited to the SCO summit—the Taliban admin-
and achieve more tangible outcomes in their istration is yet to win recognition from any SCO
bilateral relations, given the profound and com- or other countries, even though Uzbekistan has
plex transformations of the international and actively tried to persuade the international com-
regional contexts. With Russia distracted by its munity to raise its engagement with the Taliban
war in Ukraine and, to the consternation of many regime in an effort at effectively dealing with
Central Asian officials, now regarded as a pariah some of Afghanistan’s more severe difficulties.
by the West, China, say analysts, may take this Tajikistan is the most vocal of the Central Asian
opportunity to reassert some of its interests in nations in expressed opposition to the Taliban.
Central Asia and establish itself as a more reliable The linked problems of terrorism, extrem-
partner than Beijing. On the other hand, China ism, drug-running and separatism in Afghani-
will be wary of destabilising its relationship with stan pose a direct danger to the peace, stability,
Moscow by projecting itself too strongly in a security and economic prosperity of the whole
region Russia regards as its backyard. SCO region.
Xi assured Rahmon of China’s readiness to “China is ready to work with Tajikistan and
expand its import of quality Tajik agricultural other Central Asian countries to enhance the
products, advance cooperation in infrastructure, China+Central Asia [C+C5] Meeting mech-
including water management, devise cooper- anism and other cooperation, deepen coun-
ation in green technology, the digital economy ter-terrorism cooperation, and jointly safeguard
and artificial intelligence, and assist Tajikistan in peace and tranquility in this region,” Xi told
promoting cross-border transit capabilities. Rahmon.
Tajikistan heavily depends on Chinese invest- Rahmon reiterated Tajikistan’s unwavering
ment, which has generated a heavy debt burden adherence to the one-China concept, namely
that gives Beijing leverage over Dushanbe. The the belief that Taiwan is an inalienable part of
bulk of Tajikistan’s annual debt repayments Chinese territory.
unsurprisingly goes to China, but the rate at “Tajikistan is willing to deepen its high-level
which capital is being paid back is far from reas- interactions with China, benefit from China’s
suring for Beijing’s bean-counters. development experience, and foster practical
“For Tajikistan in particular, I think we have cooperation with China in areas like trade, agri-
to consider the role China ascribes to it in par- culture, transportation, and production capac-
ticular in the Afghanistan context. It needs a ity,” Rahmon said. ™
stable Tajikistan and will probably pour as much
money as it believes it takes to keep it stable, even

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