China Eyes Pamir Region In Tajikistan

File Photo: A View of the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan. Image Credit: Irene2005. Licensed Under CC BY 2.0.

Beijing wants the Pamir region from Tajikistan which accounts for about 45 percent of Tajikistan's territory. China says that the Pamir region has been a part of China in the past. One Chinese historian recently wrote an article. He said that China lost Pamir during the last years of the Qin dynasty. 'Pamir was outside China [for] 128 years due to the pressure of world powers', these are the words of Chinese historian Cho Yau Lu. However, Research conducted by various news outlets such as WION say otherwise.

In 2011, China forced Tajikistan to cede 1000 sq km of Pamir land to Beijing. This was 5.5 percent of the total land that China wants to grab. I feel that China was able to force Tajikistan to cede the area primarily due to the massive debt that Tajikistan owes to China. In the past, Tajikistan paid off its debt to China by ceding mining rights. It's likely that China is hoping that Pamir is next.