Xi Jinping and Tajikistan: "Good brothers walk hand in hand"

03 July 2024, 9:13 PM

International, Bangladesh Global: I am filled with joy and expectations to visit the home of a good neighbor and good brother during this crisp fall season," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his signed article published in Tajik media ahead of his first state visit to the country in 2014.

In this midsummer, Xi's third state visit to Tajikistan will surely write a new chapter for the friendship of the two countries.

During his 2014 state visit, Xi was invited to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's residence for a family feast. To welcome his distinguished guest, Rahmon rolled out a silk carpet at the entrance of his presidential mansion -- a Tajik etiquette of the highest honor reserved for esteemed guests.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan visit the residence of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon (1st L) in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan, Sept. 12, 2014. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
Rahmon, accompanied by his family in their traditional attire, greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan.

The two leaders walked and talked inside the courtyard, where the trees were lush and the fruits fragrant. Rahmon picked one fruit from a tree and handed it to Xi.

Inside the room, Rahmon personally dressed Xi in a chapan -- a traditional Tajik robe -- and tied a belt around his waist.

"I have seen Dushanbe full of vitality and rapid development, and I have felt the simplicity, friendliness and hospitality of the Tajik people," Xi told Rahmon.

When Xi revisited Dushanbe in June 2019, he received the Order of the Crown from Rahmon. In the Tajik language, the word "Taj" means "crown."

During the ceremony, Rahmon draped the sash over Xi's shoulder and placed his nation's highest decoration on him. Noting that the Order of the Crown embodies the profound friendship the people of Tajikistan have kept with the people of China, Xi said he highly valued the decoration.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) receives the Order of the Crown, Tajikistan's highest decoration, from Tajik President Emomali Rahmon during a ceremony in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, June 15, 2019. (Xinhua/Sadat)

Since China and Tajikistan established diplomatic ties, bilateral relations have made significant progress, evolving from strategic partners to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Today, the two sides are jointly building a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity and mutual benefit.

"The friendship between the leaders has led to positive development in bilateral relations," Qanoatullo Saifulloev, deputy director of the state-run Khovar News Agency, told Xinhua in an interview.