Emomali Rahmon and Xi Jinping Hold High-Level Talks in Beijing
On May 12, as part of the state visit of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Leader of the Nation, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, high-level Tajik-Chinese talks were held.
The Head of State, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, and the President of the People’s Republic of China, Honorable Xi Jinping, discussed a wide range of bilateral and multilateral cooperation issues at the talks, which were held in an atmosphere of complete understanding and deep mutual trust.
The President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, called the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, his dear friend and praised his personal contribution to strengthening the foundations of statehood, as well as to the development and progress of Tajikistan: «My dear friend! Today, our latest meeting evokes very warm feelings in me.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of Tajikistan’s independence.
Under your leadership, Tajikistan has achieved remarkable achievements in state building, which cannot but bring us sincere joy.
As the pioneer of the Chinese-Tajik comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era, you have today been awarded the title of Honorary Professor of Peking University. This reflects the deep respect and friendship the Chinese people have for you and the entire Tajik nation.
Amid international turbulence, the modern world is far from calm, but regardless of changes in the external environment, China and Tajikistan remain and will remain good neighbors, good friends, and reliable partners in the spirit of mutual assistance, mutual trust, and joint development.
Dear Mr. President! I stand ready to work with you to foster an even more united community of shared destiny between Tajikistan and China for the benefit of the peoples of both countries.»
A detailed exchange of views took place on pressing international and regional issues.
At the beginning of the conversation, the President of our country expressed gratitude to the President of the People’s Republic of China for the invitation to make a state visit, the warm welcome, and traditional hospitality.
The head of state emphasized that relations between the two countries are currently developing fruitfully and at an accelerated pace within the framework of a comprehensive strategic partnership.
«This process is in line with the fundamental interests of our peoples, who are bound by strong ties of sincere friendship and good-neighborliness,» noted Emomali Rahmon.
It was noted with satisfaction that economic ties between our countries are consistently developing in trade, investment cooperation, industry and energy, the agricultural sector, and other areas of mutual interest.
In this context, the steady growth of mutual trade turnover and the volume of Chinese investment in the Tajik economy was noted.
It should be pointed out that China occupies a leading position among our country’s foreign economic partners in these indicators, and more than 700 enterprises with Chinese capital currently operate in Tajikistan.
The head of state expressed satisfaction with the progress of cooperation with the People’s Republic of China and the government’s support in implementing important infrastructure projects, including the construction of strategic highways. They expressed hope for continued mutually beneficial cooperation in this area.
During the meeting, prospects for strengthening cooperation in industry, energy, the green economy, digitalization, modern technologies, and the implementation of artificial intelligence were also discussed.
The development of cooperation in energy, particularly in the hydropower and solar energy sectors, as well as in the agro-industrial complex, was recognized as important.
In this context, the head of state, Emomali Rahmon, emphasized the interest of Chinese companies in the participation of industrial and agricultural technology parks in Tajikistan.
The talks also discussed expanding ties in tourism and people-to-people contacts.
In this context, it was noted that the establishment of regular flights on the Dushanbe-Xi’an air route creates a favorable foundation for strengthening bilateral ties in these areas.
Regarding other aspects of cultural and humanitarian relations between the two countries, the Leader of the Nation stressed the importance of cultural and educational exchanges.
Particular attention was paid to cooperation in science and education. In this context, Tajikistan expressed interest in increasing the number of Chinese educational quotas for Tajik youth in such fields as the exact sciences, engineering, and information and communications technology.
The activities of Confucius centers in teaching the Chinese language and presenting Chinese culture in Tajikistan were highly praised.
The parties, noting close cooperation within international and regional organizations, particularly the UN, the SCO, and the Central Asia-China Mechanism, considered it important to further strengthen cooperation and coordination in the fight against terrorism, extremism, radicalism, cybercrime, illicit trafficking of all types of narcotics, and other manifestations of transnational organized crime.
During the discussion of current issues on the international and regional agenda, attention was focused on the explosive situation surrounding Iran and the problem of Afghanistan.
Honourable Emomali Rahmon reiterated that Tajikistan is a staunch supporter of resolving all conflicts and disputes peacefully, using political and diplomatic means.
In this regard, the importance of the initiative of the President of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Xi Jinping, on «Global Governance» through the formation of a just international system, as well as the Chinese side’s proposal to establish an International Mediation Organization, was noted.
At the conclusion of the intergovernmental talks, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, invited the President of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Xi Jinping, to pay a return visit to Tajikistan.