Eye on Afghanistan, China to build military base in Tajikistan

• China will take full control of a military base in Tajikistan near the Afghan border that it has been quietly operating and will also build a new base for the Tajik Government.
• Russia and India are among countries that already have a military presence in bases in Tajikistan.

About:

• Tajikistan granted approval for the construction of a new base, following an agreement between Tajikistan and China.
• The agreement was signed by the China’s Public Security Ministry, and not the Chinese military which suggests a focus on counterterrorism amid rising concerns over instability in neighbouring Afghanistan.
• The new base would be owned by Tajikistan’s Rapid Reaction Group and financed by China for a cost of $10 million.
• It will be located in the eastern Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous province near the Pamir mountains, and Chinese troops will not be stationed there.
• Tajikistan Government has also agreed to transfer full control a former Soviet base near the China-Tajikistan-Afghanistan tri-junction and the Wakhan Corridor, where China shares a less than 100 km border with Afghanistan.
• The base, once full control has been transferred, will become only the second known overseas Chinese security facility, after Djibouti near the Horn of Africa .

Significance of the Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan etc., region for India

• Central Asia serves as a land bridge between Asia and Europe, making it geopolitically axial for India.
• The region is rich in natural resources such as petroleum, natural gas, antimony, aluminum, gold, silver, coal and uranium which can be best utilized by Indian energy requirements.
• Central Asia has huge cultivable areas lying barren and without being put to any productive use, offering enormous opportunity for cultivation of pulses.
• India intends expansion of International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
• This will act as a vital gateway to access Eurasian markets and optimally operationalize its use, requiring a Central Asian state joining the project as a direct stakeholder.
• India has proposed setting up of ‘India-Central Asia Development Group’ to take forward development partnership between India & Central Asian countries.
• This group will help India to expand its footprints in the resource-rich region amid China’s massive inroads and to fight terror effectively, including in Afghanistan.
• India has a very wide array of interests in Central Asia covering security, energy, economic opportunities etc., therefore Security, stability and prosperity of Central Asia is imperative for peace and economic development of India.
• Both India and Central Asian Republics (CARs) share many commonalities and perceptions on various regional and world issues and can play a crucial role in providing regional stability.