Tajikistan denies reports of Chinese constructing military base on its border with Afghanistan

Tajikistan has dismissed all reports of China's plans to build a special military base for the Central Asian country.

China too earlier reiterated that it has no military bases in Central Asia, according to a statement by the spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry.

China has not planned to build any military bases in the eastern part of Tajikistan, reported Khaama Press citing the statement by Tajikistan's interior ministry.

However, China admitted that both the countries would have "military manoeuvres" on the border of Tajikistan with Afghanistan, according to the news agency.

Meanwhile, spokesperson of China's foreign ministry Wang Wenbin denied having any military base in central Asia.

"I can explicitly state that China does not have any military bases in Central Asia," Wang Wenbin told a briefing.

Tajikistan's officials had earlier confirmed that China is willing to build a USD 8.6 million military base on the border of Tajikistan with Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.

The police outpost that will later be handed over to the Tajik paramilitary unit is planned to be built close to Vakhon, Wakhan of Afghanistan's northern Badakhshan province, the report had said.

China has already been running a military base in Kulob of Tajikistan. It was built by the Chinese government in 2016, according to the publication.

According to Khaama Press, a communique written and sent from Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to the Chinese embassy reads, "Beijing should develop more border outposts on the border with Afghanistan in return for giving full control of their previous base."

It is imperative to mention Communist regime maintained a close relationship with the all-men Taliban government since they ousted the democratically elected government in August this year. As China maintains friendly relations, Tajikistan fears Beijing might pour terrorists from Afghanistan.

( With inputs from ANI )

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