China-Tajikistan practical cooperation yields remarkable fruits
By Xie Yahong,
People’s Daily
Tajik capital Dushanbe
embraces the best time of the year every summer when fruits turn ripe under the
bright sunshine.
The city is currently
experiencing a facelift as the China-Tajikistan practical cooperation reaps
increasingly remarkable results, which has further improved the livelihood of
the local people.
I used to be stationed
in Central Asia. When I came to Dushanbe for the first time four years ago, I
was always greeted by the hospitable locals with “Nihao”- a way to say hello in
Chinese, and they always asked to take photos with me. Later I found out that
this was a special courtesy for the Chinese people.
As a mountainous
country, Tajikistan suffered slow development of infrastructure and has been
further burdened by the civil war that happened at the beginning of the
independence. When the country regained peace, it was facing huge tasks of
development, and the Tajik people had to leave their country for work in
overseas destinations.
It was the arrival of
the Chinese that changed the situation. The Chinese enterprises paved roads and
built bridges, constantly improving local infrastructure and facilitating
logistics. They also established factories and industrial parks, creating
massive jobs that enabled those who worked overseas to secure a job at home,
which resulted in family reunions of many.
A textile agricultural
industry park built by China’s Zhongtai Group is now the largest textile
company in Central Asia, and also the largest exporter in Tajikistan in terms
of foreign currency earnings. The jobs it created have offered opportunities
for local women to make money, largely improving their status at home.
The Vahdat-Yavan
railway tunnel constructed by China Railway 19 Bureau Group Co., Ltd. has
connected the previously separated railways in southern and northern
Tajikistan. On the day the tunnel was holed through, Tajik President Emomali
Rahmon visited the construction site and delivered a passionate speech. He had
also boarded the train for a trip in the tunnel.
A young Tajik watching
the opening ceremony said that it was his first time to see a train running by
his hometown. “Thank you, my Chinese friends! You made it easier for us to go
out of the mountain,” he said.
China’s assistance to
Tajikistan is appreciated by local people. The image of China-assisted National
Library of Tajikistan is printed on the banknotes of the country, and the
global celebration activity of "Happy Chinese New Year" and Chinese
contest “Chinese Bridge” are becoming well-known brands of Chinese culture as
China is getting more and more popular among the Tajiks.
A growing number of
young Tajik people are becoming fans of the Chinese culture and hoping to study
in China. According to a poll, China is considered one of the most friendly countries
in the eyes of the Tajiks.
What’s behind the
high-level development of China-Tajikistan relations is the close cooperation
between the two governments. Tajikistan was the first to sign a cooperation MOU
with China on the Silk Road Economic Belt, and a dedicated committee has since
been established. The two sides are now deepening the alignment between China’s
Belt and Road Initiative and Tajikistan’s National Development Strategy 2030.
Many Tajik experts
believe that the top-level design and strategic deployment made by the two
heads of state have laid a solid foundation for the long-term and stable
development of China-Tajik ties.
When Chinese President
Xi Jinping made his first state visit to Tajikistan five years ago, he was
treated by President Rahmon with a family banquet. The banquet was joined by
three generations of President Rahmon’s family as President Xi was considered the
most honorable guest. When President Rahmon visited China in 2017, the two
countries agreed to lift bilateral ties to comprehensive strategic partnership.
We have every reason
to believe that President Xi’s second trip to Tajikistan in five years will inject
new impetus to the future development of bilateral ties.
On the way to pursue a
better life, the two countries will join and support each other and bring more
benefits to the people of the two countries, passing on the traditional
friendship that has lasted for over a thousand year from generation to
generation.
Students
of Confucius Institute at Tajikistan Nationality University perform traditional
Chinese instrument guzheng. Photo by Chen Shangwen, People’s Daily
China-Tajikistan practical cooperation yields remarkable fruits
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