Chinese capital is rapidly transforming Tajikistan’s economic and infrastructural framework, marking a significant shift in regional power dynamics. Massive investments, particularly within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, have funded sprawling infrastructure projects, mineral extraction, and logistics networks across the country. While these developments promise broad economic growth, Tajikistan’s Pamiri minority finds itself increasingly sidelined. Local voices from the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region highlight a pattern of exclusion, where decision-making processes rarely incorporate Pamiri input, leading to socioeconomic disparities and worsening marginalization.

Key factors contributing to the…