Tajikistan and China have reached a range of cooperation agreements, encompassing politics, economics, science, education, trade, investment, energy and healthcare. Such collaboration has solidified China's position as one of Tajikistan's foremost and crucial partners.

Rahimi said that Tajikistan was one of the first countries to support the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, and is facilitating the comprehensive alignment of its National Development Strategy for the period up to 2030 with the BRI.

Bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached $3.926 billion in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 53.5 percent, according to data from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

"The cooperation in advancing the BRI has borne significant fruit, providing crucial technical and financial assistance for our infrastructure development. This partnership has played a vital role in fostering the progress and prosperity of Tajikistan," Rahimi said.

For example, Tajikistan's infrastructure development had been largely dependent on cement imports for many years until the Chzhungtsai Mohir Cement joint venture with Chinese investors and other projects under the BRI transformed the nation into a cement exporter, he said, adding that the mining industry in Tajikistan is also growing.

Such projects "have instilled a heightened sense of confidence among Tajik people in realizing our objectives for industrialization", he said.

Rahimi, who is also president of the Tajik Academy of Sciences, said he has been paying great attention to the scientific and technological cooperation between Tajikistan and China.

The two countries have jointly established a Tajik-Chinese food safety testing and research laboratory, which uses equipment and supplies sourced from China, while Chinese experts provide training for Tajik technicians, he said.

Researchers from both countries are also actively engaged in studying together the feasibility of artificial propagation of vegetation in dry regions, Rahimi said.

"People-to-people exchanges have effectively strengthened our mutual trust. At present, there are about 2,000 Tajik students studying in Chinese universities," he said.

The two nations have engaged in collaborative endeavors encompassing archaeological initiatives, climate change studies, biodiversity preservation, disaster relief efforts and various other projects.

"The steady advancement of Tajik-China relations is of great significance, reflecting a widespread consensus among all sectors in Tajikistan. We are willing to further work together with our Chinese partners," he added.

Xu Wei in Dushanbe contributed to this story.