Tajik President arrives in Beijing for state visit

Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon arrived in Beijing on Monday to begin a four-day state visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

The visit comes after the two leaders met at last year's Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, as China and Tajikistan continue to deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and expand bilateral ties in trade, investment and infrastructure connectivity.

China and Tajikistan established diplomatic relations in 1992, and officials from both countries have described bilateral ties as being at their historical best.

Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China and Tajikistan have steadily advanced the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with Tajikistan's National Development Strategy to 2030.

China has become Tajikistan's largest trading partner and biggest source of investment. Chinese statistics showed bilateral trade exceeded 3.5 billion U.S. dollars in the first 10 months of last year, up nearly 8 percent year on year.

Cooperation in infrastructure, high technology, education and culture, and people-to-people exchanges also continues to expand.

President Xi Jinping paid state visits to Tajikistan in 2014, 2019 and 2024, while Rahmon is a frequent visitor to China, with this marking his 23rd trip to the country.

The two heads of state have maintained close exchanges and strategic communication over the years.