Reports from The Telegraph reveal that China is constructing a secretive military base in Tajikistan, aimed at countering security threats emanating from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Near Afghan Border
According to Tech satellite images have unveiled the development of this facility over nearly a decade, featuring helipads, perimeter walls, access roads, and observation towers.
Both China and Tajikistan have yet to officially acknowledge the existence of the base, strategically located at approximately 4,000 meters in the mountains near the Afghan border. However, satellite imagery confirms ongoing construction efforts, with personnel from both nations reportedly stationed there.
Beijing is also purportedly supplying ammunition and technology to Tajikistan, raising concerns about China's expanding influence across the region.
Filling a Vacuum
"The situation is such that there is a vacuum, and China is filling that vacuum," noted Parviz Mollojonov, a political analyst and director at International Alert, a UK-based peace promotion organization.
He emphasized that since the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, China has leveraged Tajikistan's concerns to bolster security cooperation, including the undisclosed long-term goals behind arms transfers and the establishment of an advanced defense line.
This development comes amidst heightened scrutiny of Chinese military activities in the region, including another facility near the former Lop Nur salt lake in China's Xinjiang region, dubbed by some as China's "Area 51." Experts speculate it serves as a hub for developing and testing advanced aerospace technologies, including high-altitude atmospheric aircraft, drones, and potentially experimental bombers.
