Crowds of well-wishers gathered on the streets of the Tajik capital Dushanbe on Thursday to give a warm welcome to Chinese President Xi Jinping's motorcade as it made its way from the airport to the hotel on Thursday evening.
Huge banners were seen among the welcoming crowds reading in Chinese "Wish President Xi Jinping's visit to Tajikistan a great success" and "Warmly welcome President Xi Jinping to visit Tajikistan", while those assembled by the roadside also waved national flags of China and Tajikistan. Xi arrived in Dushanbe on Thursday for a state visit at the invitation of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, with this being his first trip to the Central Asian country for five years.
Well-wishers gather in Dushanbe to welcome Xi's motorcade
Well-wishers gather in Danshube to welcome Xi's motorcade
China and Tajikistan enjoy close cultural and people-to-people exchanges that are actively advancing through joint educational initiatives, said Jamshed Jurazoda, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Tajikistan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Tajikistan from Thursday to Saturday.
During his talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Xi said the two countries should expand people-to-people and cultural cooperation in youth exchanges, media, think tanks, women's affairs and tourism.
According to Jurazoda, cooperation is being driven further as young citizens of the Central Asian country learn to speak Chinese.
"Today, these relations are expanding in several areas. One of the areas is the establishment of various centers, including the Confucius Institute, which today plays a significant role in promoting the Chinese language among the people of Tajikistan, showcasing and introducing Chinese culture and facilitating student and teacher exchanges between the two countries," he said in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Tajikistan's capital of Duschanbe.
"One of the important areas of cooperation is the exchange of students, which takes place within the framework of various programs and projects. Today, more than 3,000 students are studying in the People's Republic of China in various fields,” he added.
The minister also highlighted a vocational education program that derives its name from legendary Chinese carpenter and architect Lu Ban, now with a branch in a school named for a renowned Tajik philosopher.
"One example of good cooperation is the establishment of the Luban Workshop at the Technical University of Tajikistan named after Muhammad Osimi in 2022. This allows students to become acquainted with advanced Chinese technology and, of course, to grow into skilled professionals in the field of technology," said the deputy minister.
Educational cooperation abounds between China, Tajikistan: vice minister
