China Factor in Tajikistan: Prospects and Threats

Abstract

Lately China has achieved impressive results in the utilization of logistical and natural resources of Tajikistan. The influence of Chinese “soft power” is also growing in the republic. The security cooperation has become a new important sphere of bilateral ties. Beijing has become an almost single source of financial and other resources for the leadership of Tajikistan trying to use it for social and internal stability purposes. As a result an economic, mainly debt, dependence of Dushanbe on China is growing. However the government of RT continues to follow the same course which may lead to the loss of the economic independence and even of the political one.