China Resumes Tajikistan Highway Project After New Security Guarantees

DID Press: China has resumed construction of a strategic highway project in Tajikistan near the Afghan border after several months of suspension, following new security guarantees provided by the Tajik government.

The project involves the construction of a 109-kilometer section of the Dushanbe–Kulma Highway, a key transport corridor in Tajikistan that is considered strategically important because of its proximity to Afghanistan.

Construction resumed in April after Tajik authorities introduced enhanced security measures to protect Chinese engineers and workers. The project had been suspended in late 2025 following a series of violent attacks on Chinese nationals that left several people dead.

Chinese personnel are now operating under the protection of Tajik special forces. The two countries have also scheduled a joint military exercise for September to strengthen bilateral security cooperation.

The project’s resumption follows the signing of a friendship treaty between China and Tajikistan in May, paving the way for approximately $8 billion in economic and infrastructure agreements and expanding cooperation in transport, infrastructure and security.