Chinese and Tajik leaders have pledged to deepen pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.

During a meeting Monday with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Zhou Yongkang, a senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official, said bilateral relations had enjoyed sound and rapid development since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 20 years ago.

Zhou said his visit to Tajikistan was aimed at implementing the consensus reached by Chinese President Hu Jintao and Rahmon during their meeting on the sidelines of the June Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana.

Zhou, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and also secretary of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, made four proposals for deepening bilateral cooperation.

He pointed to the importance of Rahmon's decision to prioritize food security in economic development. China had sent its agriculture minister to study cooperative projects with Tajikistan and hoped to accelerate its assistance to Tajikistan to solve the food security issue, Zhou said.

Secondly, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was an important bridge linking China and Tajikistan. Trade between Xinjiang and Tajikistan accounted for 72 percent of bilateral trade, Zhou said.

China hoped the two countries could work together to implement the cooperation agreement reached between Xinjiang and Tajikistan and seek more opportunities for cooperation. China welcomed Tajikistan's participation in the first China-Eurasia Expo slated for September in Xinjiang's capital of Urumqi, Zhou said.

His third proposal centered on security cooperation. In recent years, the two countries had enjoyed smooth cooperation in law enforcement and security and borne fruit in jointly fighting "the three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, Zhou said.

China was willing to make joint efforts with Tajikistan to strengthen coordination in fighting the "East Turkistan" forces and drug trafficking, and securing border, deepen cooperation under multilateral frameworks such as the SCO, so as to jointly safeguard the security and stability in the two countries and the region, he said.

Fourthly, the CPC valued the friendly exchanges with the People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT). Given the profound changes occurring in the world, in the two countries and the two parties, the CPC and PDPT should deepen cooperation, jointly face challenges and make efforts to promote the sound and rapid economic and social development in the two countries, Zhou said.

Rahmon said the past 20 years marked a new phase in Tajikistan-China relations, during which the two countries had benefited by building the good neighborly and friendly relations with mutual understanding, respect and support.

Since Tajikistan gained independence in 1991, the country had made accomplishments thanks to China's firm support, Rahmon said.

Entering a crucial phase for development, Tajikistan was promoting the three strategies of realizing independence in energy, extricating itself from a difficult traffic situation and ensuring food security.

Tajikistan hoped the Chinese government would encourage more investment in the country, and his country wold enhance cooperation with China in agriculture, energy resources and infrastructure construction, Rahmon said.

Despite a short history, the PDPT had become an important and well-respected political force among the Tajik people. The good relations with the CPC established in 2002 had become an important part of the bilateral relationship. The PDPT would learn from the 90-year-old CPC's experience, strengthen cooperation and bring benefits to the two peoples, Rahmon said.

After the meeting, Zhou and Rahmon witnessed the signing of a memorandum of inter-party exchanges and cooperation between the CPC and PDPT and a China-Tajikistan cooperation agreement covering the economy and technology.

Zhou also visited the headquarters of TK Mobile. Established by China's ZTE Corporation, the company is currently the largest CDMA operator in Tajikistan.

(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2011)