The British newspaper The Telegraph has reported that China has built a secret military base in Tajikistan.
“The facility, carved out of mountains that rise 13,000 ft high, has look-out towers and troops from both countries, which now hold regular joint military drills shown on Chinese state media,” the article says. The Telegraph also posted several satellite images, taken in different years.
In 2016 China and Tajikistan signed a security agreement, highlighting that the external threat to Tajikistan has escalated following the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan. Dushanbe and Beijing work in partnership to combat threats, both bilaterally and within the framework of international organizations.
However, Tajikistan does not officially recognize the existence of the military facilities shown in the Telegraph article. The Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs denies that there are any Chinese military bases in the country.
“China does not have a military base on the territory of Tajikistan. This issue is not on the agenda of bilateral relations,” a statement published on the ministry’s website reads.
