Tajikistan, China discuss expansion of trade, investment and industrial cooperation

Tajikistan and China discussed broadening trade, investment and industrial cooperation at the 14th meeting of their Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation in Dushanbe.

The session was co-chaired by Tajikistan’s Minister of Economic Development and Trade Abdurahmon Abdurahmonzoda and China’s Deputy Minister of Commerce Lin Ji, according to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. The talks focused on ways to boost bilateral trade, draw in investment, create joint ventures and deepen cooperation in a number of industrial fields.

Industrial cooperation was one of the key topics. The two sides examined projects in mining, mineral extraction and processing, green industry, textiles, and leather and footwear manufacturing.

Tajikistan and China also discussed setting up joint enterprises, raising the degree of raw material processing and localizing production. The talks included the introduction of modern technologies into industrial projects. Agricultural trade was another subject, with the sides considering steps to increase exports of agricultural goods from Tajikistan to China.

The meeting also covered the development of transport infrastructure and closer cooperation between regions of the two countries. The parties reviewed prospects for further interaction within the Central Asia–China cooperation framework. After the meeting, Tajikistan and China signed a protocol and reaffirmed their intention to continue investment cooperation and the implementation of joint projects, as well as to further develop bilateral trade and economic ties.

Trade between Tajikistan and China has grown in recent years. According to figures cited by Asia-Plus, bilateral trade turnover reached nearly $2.9bn in 2025, up 46% year on year. China remained Tajikistan’s largest trading partner in the first half of 2026. Trade turnover between the two countries reached approximately $1.78bn over that period.

By comparison, Tajikistan’s trade with Russia totaled $1.32bn in the first six months of 2026, while trade with Switzerland surpassed $1bn. China was also Tajikistan’s biggest source of imports from January to June, making up 25.9% of the country’s total imports. In the same period, China accounted for 26.8% of Tajikistan’s exports.

Following the intergovernmental commission meeting, the two countries agreed to keep working on investment initiatives, industrial projects and measures designed to expand bilateral trade.