As reports emerged alleging that China has created a full-scale military base in the Central Asian country bordering Afghanistan, both China and Tajikistan recently denied the existence of a secret military base near Tajik-Afghan border.
However, ET has learnt that the Chinese military base, located in a remote mountainous area at an altitude of 13,000 feet, includes observation towers and hosts troops from China.
The purported counter-terror base was built following developments in Afghanistan and the agreement for the same may have been signed in 2021, sources said.
Both Russia and India have big stakes in Tajikistan. Any Chinese military facility in Central Asia, particularly in Tajikistan close to the Afghan border and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), is a matter of concern for India as well as Russia.
While Russia has retained a military base in Tajikistan, India has worked closely with the country in the past to address terror threats in the region. India operated out of Ayni air base in Tajikistan (near capital Dushanbe) and even deployed Sukhois, but later this facility was wound up. Between 2002 and 2010, India spent nearly $70 million to renovate the air base, extending the runway to 3,200 metres and installing state-of-the-art navigational and air defence equipment. During the Cold War, Ayni served as a major base for the Soviet military in the region.
