A pass from China: how Russia and China get along in Central Asia
China and Tajikistan have agreed that Beijing will finance and build nine border facilities on the territory of the Central Asian republic. The total cost of the project is estimated at $60 million. In general, China is increasingly involved not only in economic life, but also in ensuring the security of countries close to Russia. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Turnkey towns
China and Tajikistan have agreed on the construction of nine border facilities in the Central Asian republic. The exact location of the outposts is not known, but most likely, we are talking about Gorny Badakhshan, where the most problematic section of the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan runs. The cost of the project is estimated at $60 million, and Beijing will provide the money free of charge.
Tajikistan will exempt construction companies from taxes, duties and other payments. At the same time, the Chinese side undertakes to act within the framework of an integrated approach, that is, it will create full-fledged autonomous towns. It is emphasized that builders from China will not only erect buildings, but also lay roads, power lines, water supply and other communications.
Border fence between Tajikistan and China, Gorno-Badakhshan region, Tajikistan
The Chinese will also bring furniture and computers to the towns. At the same time, officials report that the legal framework for the implementation of the project is fully ready. Bahriddin Zie, a member of the Law and Order Committee of the Parliament of Tajikistan, said that the exchange letters were agreed upon in all relevant departments of the two countries. "They have also passed an anti—corruption examination, they have not identified any factors that create conditions for corruption," he said.
At the same time, it must be said that the immediate reason for strengthening the border was two incidents that occurred at the end of last year. In one case, three Chinese workers were killed after a drone arrived from Afghanistan. In another, two construction workers died as a result of shelling. Beijing initially demanded security from Dushanbe and Kabul, but now, obviously, they decided to take up the matter on their own.
Pet in the Pamirs
Russia remains the main security partner for the Central Asian countries. The law enforcement agencies of the five republics and the Russian Federation have a common history, the leaders were born and raised in the Soviet Union, that is, literally and figuratively they speak the same language. In addition, three states — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan — together with Russia are members of the CSTO, which has already shown its effectiveness when it helped Astana cope with large-scale unrest in 2022.
Two more countries, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, have concluded bilateral agreements with the Russian Federation, which also involve military cooperation. Finally, Russian military personnel are physically present in the countries of the region. Tajikistan is home to the largest foreign military facility of the Russian Federation, the 201st base. In Kyrgyzstan, the Russian military occupies the Kant airbase, and in Kazakhstan they rent several training grounds, where up to a thousand soldiers are constantly present.
201st Russian Military Base, Tajikistan
At the same time, China is also quite active. It is important to note that security issues in China began to be raised back in the 1990s. Then, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Beijing suddenly discovered independent republics with predominantly Muslim and Turkic-speaking populations on its border, which are culturally and historically close to the Uighurs inhabiting the northwest of China itself.
In this regard, Beijing was concerned about a possible increase in separatist sentiments. Chinese President Jiang Zemin (1993-2003) discussed this issue with the presidents of the region during his first tour of Central Asia in 1996. As a result, the commitment to strengthen trust in the military sphere was fixed on paper, and the fight against the three "forces of evil" — terrorism, extremism and separatism — was discussed at almost every meeting.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the situation in Afghanistan came to the fore. Beijing reliably defended its part of the border with this country, but neighboring Tajikistan caused concern, and since then it has been to Dushanbe that Chinese attention has been most closely focused. Finally, in the 2010s, against the backdrop of rapid economic growth in China, the One Belt, One Road initiative was developed, which involves the creation of overland logistics corridors. It is clear that the investments were followed by concerns about security.
A Chinese serviceman participates in a joint military anti-terrorist command and staff exercise of the armed forces of the SCO member states.
As a result, military cooperation began to develop consistently. In the 21st century, the Chinese army and armed police conducted about 15 bilateral exercises with Central Asian countries, and several dozen more took place through the SCO. It is characteristic that almost all of these maneuvers are of an anti—terrorist nature - they are aimed at combating extremism and suppressing protests, and the traditional military actions of one army against another are not practiced.
In addition, China is increasing the supply of military-technical products. Winglong-1 attack drones, Qianwei-2 man-portable air defense missile systems, mobile radar stations, as well as armored vehicles and patrol vehicles have appeared in service with Central Asian countries. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan plan to purchase air defense systems, and Tashkent is also discussing the supply of fifth-generation fighters.
At the same time, it should be added that China's closest attention is focused on Tajikistan. In 2023, Dushanbe and Beijing agreed to hold anti-terrorist exercises every two years. It is also not the first time that China has helped to establish the border of the Central Asian republic with Afghanistan. The Gulkhan border post in the Khatlon region was built with Chinese money, and Beijing allocated funds for the construction of commandant's offices and training centers.
The Winglong-1 attack drone
Information about the deployment of a full-fledged Chinese military base in the Pamir Mountains has surfaced more than once. In 2021, deputies of the Tajik parliament spoke about this, then it was about the construction of an object in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. Later, however, the republic's Interior Ministry denied the information. In 2024, the British newspaper The Telegraph wrote about the same thing, but this time the Tajik Foreign Ministry did not confirm the data.
Replacing the sea
China has many interests in Central Asia, says orientalist Azhdar Kurtov.
— First, Beijing resolved its border issues, conducted delimitation and demarcation with neighboring republics. At the same time, border disputes with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were often resolved in favor of the PRC. In the future, economic cooperation began to increase, large transport projects and joint industrial enterprises appeared, and military cooperation is being established to protect them," he notes.
Now the situation has further worsened due to events in the Middle East, the expert adds. The fact is that the Strait of Hormuz is not the only point on the map that the United States can put pressure on.
— The second most important artery is the Strait of Malaka, through which most of China's maritime trade passes. If problems arise there, then the entire current model of the Chinese economy will be at risk. Beijing is aware of this vulnerability and is looking for alternative routes, and for this they are developing land corridors in Eurasia, which run through Central Asian countries," explains the Izvestia source.
In turn, Alexander Vorobyov, head of the Center for Public Diplomacy and World Policy Analysis, a researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, says that China would like to increase its presence in the region, but faces objective obstacles.
— China has the appropriate potential and motivation, but the countries of the region themselves, with the exception of Tajikistan, are very wary of Beijing's activity. He already has a strong economic influence, in order to somehow balance it, these republics prefer other actors in matters of security. This is primarily about Russia, as well as Turkey and even Western structures. This behavior fits into the mainstream of a multi—vector policy and allows us to restrain China's ambitions," he argues.
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