{"id":41449,"date":"2022-03-01T17:23:46","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T16:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/?p=41449"},"modified":"2023-11-02T19:25:47","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T18:25:47","slug":"chinas-military-expansion-in-tajikistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/tajikistan\/chinas-military-expansion-in-tajikistan\/","title":{"rendered":"China\u2019s Military Expansion in Tajikistan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Several American media outlets have reported that China is building a second military base in Tajikistan. This development would further China\u2019s presence in the country, making it more than merely economic.&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>However, the actual presence of China in Tajikistan is denied by some sources. Officially, China is only building a joint-use police station and the presence of even the first military base has been categorically denied. This article attempts to decipher the situation.<\/strong><strong>This article was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/fr\/decryptage\/militairement-la-chine-pousse-ses-pions-au-tadjikistan\/#:~:text=La%20Chine%20serait%20en%20train,un%20de%20ses%20pays%20limitrophes.\">Novastan\u2019s French website<\/a> on 1 November 2021.<\/strong>\n\nThe question of China\u2019s potential second military base in Tajikistan has generated a heated debate among observers of both countries, without a clear answer. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rferl.org\/a\/tajikistan-approves-chinese-base\/31532078.html\">Radio Free Europe<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com\/2021\/10\/chinas-security-infrastructure-continues-to-grow-in-tajikistan\/\">The Diplomat<\/a>, China is funding the construction of a second military base in the Wakhan Valley, bordering Afghanistan. The Tajik Parliament seems to have given its approval on October 27.\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"hp-newsletter col-span-3 lg:col-span-1 flex flex-col bg-primary-100 border-t-8 border-secondary-500 rounded-lg justify-center items-center lg:items-stretch px-6 py-6 gap-4 box-border\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"flex\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"enveloppe\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"far fa-envelope text-5xl text-secondary-300\"><\/i>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"formulaire_nl\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"font-bold text-xl block\">The whole of Central Asia in your inbox\n<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe to our free weekly newsletter\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<form class=\"flex w-3\/4 lg:w-full\" action=\"https:\/\/us4.list-manage.com\/subscribe?u=6a15a2256d412b041fdec39e8&amp;id=d479236523\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"flex-grow py-2 px-3 border border-primary-300 rounded-l\" type=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email\" name=\"EMAIL\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"bg-secondary-500 py-2 px-3 text-white rounded-r-md border border-secondary-500\" type=\"submit\" value=\"\" name=\"subscribe\">Register<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/form>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" class=\"underline text-secondary-700\">Click here for the latest issue\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- newsletter -->\n\t\t\n\n\n\n<p>\n\nRadio Free Europe also reported that Tajikistan has offered its Chinese neighbour full control over the first base located south of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Murghob\">Murghob<\/a>, in the southeast of the country. The Chinese embassy in Tajikistan has allegedly published a declaration on that matter.\n\nAccording to these claims, China could soon have two full-fledged military bases in a neighbouring country, which is unprecedented. The existence of the first base was revealed by the Washington Post in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/asia_pacific\/in-central-asias-forbidding-highlands-a-quiet-newcomer-chinese-troops\/2019\/02\/18\/78d4a8d0-1e62-11e9-a759-2b8541bbbe20_story.html\">early 2019 investigation<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Base Financed by Beijing <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThings might be slightly more complicated. <em>\u201cThe complete handover has not been confirmed by the Tajik government, and the original declaration is nowhere to be found\u201d,<\/em>&nbsp;says Tajik political scientist Parviz Mullojonov in a statement to Novastan. The Tajik media outlet <a href=\"https:\/\/asiaplustj.info\/ru\/news\/tajikistan\/security\/20211028\/kitai-stroit-bazu-v-tadzhikistane-stoimostyu-okolo-100-mln-somoni?tg_rhash=dad9b8f651f186\">Asia Plus<\/a> reports that this base is intended for use by the <em>\u201crapid response unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs\u2019 Anti-Organized Crime Department\u201d.<\/em> Furthermore, while the funding would indeed be Chinese \u2013 amounting to 100 million somoni (\u00a35.1 million) \u2013 the base is not going to be used by the Chinese military.\n\n<em>\u201cThis military building is Tajik \u2013 not Chinese. Tajikistan has certain obligations made with its allies, particularly from the Collective Security Treaty Organization <\/em>(<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Collective_Security_Treaty_Organization\">CSTO<\/a>, Russian-dominated \u2013 ed.)<em>\u201d,<\/em>&nbsp;says Guzel Majtdinova, a professor of international relations at the Russian-Tajik Slavic University. <em>\u201cWithout the agreement of its partners, Dushanbe does not have the right to create military bases for foreign states. Tajikistan abides by this rule.\u201d<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/tj.sputniknews.ru\/20211028\/voennaya-baza-china-tajikistan-afghanistan-1043152842.html\">Sputnik, a Russian media source,<\/a> offers another perspective on China\u2019s presence in Tajikistan. Since this base is Chinese-funded, it is<em> \u201cquite unlikely that the \u2018red dragon\u2019 will not seize the opportunity to send a small contingent of military specialists, or at least a few observers and scouts wearing coveralls\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Lack of Transparency in Chinese Decision-making<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>\nTajik authorities have maintained their claims that China does not have a permanent military base on Tajik soil. China is reluctant to divulge any information. <em>\u201cWhenever Tajikistan signs military agreements with Russia or other Western countries, some details are always disclosed. But the Chinese are totally opaque\u201d,<\/em> laments Parvis Mullojonov, a Tajik political scientist. He assumes that both armies are going to use both bases, although the exact division remains unknown.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Afghanistan as the Sole Common Denominator<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>\nIn fact, the Taliban\u2019s rise to power in Afghanistan is under scrutiny by Beijing. <em>\u201cNot only is China strengthening its military presence on Xinjiang\u2019s borders, but it also has made sure, through direct conversation with the Taliban, that both countries can directly discuss regional security issues\u201d,<\/em> says Hashim Ali, a researcher in journalism and communication at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.\n\n<em>\u201cCentral Asia&#8217;s security depends largely on Afghanistan&#8217;s stability. Its central position could make it a rapid communication channel between post-Soviet states and South Asia\u201d,<\/em> Guzel Majtdinova asserts. <em>\u201cFor China, Afghan natural resources are also important. Afghanistan could become a potential route for the New Silk Roads\u201d, <\/em>she adds.\n\n<em>\u201cChina has a strategic vision. The possibility that it could use these bases for its army in the future cannot be ruled out. For the time being, however, these border posts are there for Afghanistan\u201d,<\/em> Parvis Mullojonov concludes. <em>\u201cChina\u2019s political interests in neighbouring countries are the reason why it strives to secure its investments\u201d, <\/em>adds the Tajik political scientist<em>.<\/em> In fact, China is involved in <a href=\"https:\/\/asiaplustj.info\/ru\/news\/tajikistan\/politics\/20200111\/resursi-i-obekti-naskolko-kitai-uglubilsya-v-tadzhikistan?tg_rhash=59df260525b319\">every sector of the Tajik economy<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong>Etienne Combier\n<\/strong><strong>Editor-in-Chief of Novastan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong>Translated from <a href=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/fr\/decryptage\/militairement-la-chine-pousse-ses-pions-au-tadjikistan\/\">French<\/a> by Andre\u00ef Fedorovsky<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong>Edited by Grace Mitchell<\/strong>\n&nbsp;\n\n<p><em>For more news and analysis from Central Asia, follow us on <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/Novastan_Eng\">Twitter<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Novastan.org\/\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/telegram.me\/novastan\">Telegram<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/fondation-novastan\/\">Linkedin<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/novastanorg\/\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Several American media outlets have reported that China is building a second military base in Tajikistan. This development would further China\u2019s presence in the country, making it more than merely economic.&nbsp;However, the actual presence of China in Tajikistan is denied by some sources. Officially, China is only building a joint-use police station and the presence [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":41458,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1101,4522,3979],"coauthors":[81],"class_list":["post-41449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tajikistan","tag-china","tag-military","tag-tajikistan"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41449"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41449\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45769,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41449\/revisions\/45769"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41449"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=41449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}