China has been building a secret military base in Tajikistan for almost a decade. Currently, the works are intensified, as evidenced by satellite images, writes The Telegraph newspaper.
The base is located in one of the most remote regions of the world, the province of Mountain Badakhshan. The construction is financed by China in the amount of 10 million dollars. Carved into the mountains, the base rises almost 4,000 meters above sea level, has observation towers and houses soldiers from both countries, who now hold regular joint military exercises broadcast by Chinese state media.
“The construction of the base is a consequence of the political situation in which the Taliban took power in Afghanistan and the growing threats along the border,” said Tajik politician Tolibkhon Azimzoda.
The base should hold regular military exercises of both countries and become a headquarters for the fight against organized crime. The equipment will be supplied by China.
Neither the Tajik nor Chinese governments have officially confirmed the existence of the base. Based on satellite images, The Telegraph found that the base is constantly expanding and adding access routes.
Concerns over Tajikistan’s nearly 1,300-kilometer border with Afghanistan have escalated since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
China is therefore supplying Tajikistan with ammunition and technology as part of its wider plans to “create a front line of defense”, said Parviz Molloyonov, a political scientist and acting director of the British NGO International Alert.
Beijing is increasing its presence in this corner of the world because it “wants to contain” Uighur Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang, who are rebelling against the government, and in addition, Beijing can continue its plans for economic expansion in Central Asia and Europe, writes The Telegraph newspaper.
For Tajikistan, closer ties with China mean adopting the same “anti-terrorist” measures Beijing has implemented against the Uighurs, which include imprisoning more than a million people in “re-education” camps.
Last month, Tajik authorities banned women from wearing the hijab and forced men with long beards to shave. Hundreds of mosques are closed, teachings must conform to government guidelines, and minors are not allowed to enter places of worship without permission. Parents who send their children for religious education abroad are also punished.
