The arrival of the first big batch of Chinese construction workers in Tajikistan happened in 2006. Their work was to build tunnels through the mountains and to repair the deteriorated road built by the Soviets back in 1950s. The Chinese workers did anything from supervising the projects, navigating trucks, until breaking the stones. Since then, along with closer relationship between Tajikistan and China, more Chinese projects are expected to happen in Tajikistan. However Tajikistan has managed to renegotiate the contract on the maximum Chinese workers to be hired in a Chinese construction project, in order to encourage more local job opportunities. Now the maximum composition of foreign workers to local workers hired by a Chinese construction project in Tajikistan is 50:50.
Panjakent, Tajikistan, 2015