China has called for closer security and intelligence cooperation with Tajikistan as Beijing seeks to address concerns over extremism, separatism and potential threats to its western region of Xinjiang.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang made the call on Monday during a meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, urging the Central Asian country to strengthen measures to protect Chinese citizens and improve cooperation between their security agencies.
According to China’s official Xinhua news agency, Li said both countries should deepen collaboration on law enforcement and security while expanding intelligence exchanges.
He also urged the two nations to jointly combat what Beijing describes as the “three evil forces” — terrorism, separatism and extremism — in an effort to protect regional peace and stability.
Li further expressed hope that Tajikistan would take “strong measures” to safeguard Chinese citizens in the country.
China has long been concerned that violence and instability in Central Asia could spread into Xinjiang, its far-western region, which is home to the predominantly Muslim Uyghur population.
Beijing has blamed Uyghur militants for a series of past attacks in Xinjiang, although its policies in the region have attracted widespread international criticism.
Human rights organisations have accused the Chinese government of severely restricting the Uyghur population’s religious, cultural and linguistic rights. Beijing has consistently denied allegations of human rights abuses.
Chinese Citizens Killed in Tajikistan
China’s security concerns have been heightened by previous attacks against its nationals in Tajikistan.
Late last year, five Chinese citizens were killed in attacks in the country that Tajik authorities said had originated from neighbouring Afghanistan.
China, which shares a remote and mountainous border with Tajikistan, is also a major investor in the Central Asian country, giving Beijing economic and security interests in maintaining stability across the region.
Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic with a population of approximately 11 million, has a secular government and strained relations with Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities.
The country has previously raised concerns about drug smugglers and illegal gold miners operating along its border with Afghanistan.
Tajikistan also experienced a devastating civil war in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Rahmon initially rose to power during that period, and the country has remained closely aligned with Russia, which maintains a military base on its territory.
China and US Increase Diplomatic Engagement in Central Asia
Li’s visit comes as other major international powers step up diplomatic engagement with resource-rich Central Asian countries.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio travelled to Uzbekistan on Sunday, while Li visited Uzbekistan before proceeding to Tajikistan.
The parallel diplomatic visits highlight the strategic importance of Central Asia, where major powers have economic, political and security interests.
For Beijing, closer cooperation with Tajikistan is particularly important in addressing cross-border security threats and preventing instability in the region from affecting China’s western territories.
