Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon has been receiving treatment in China for the past two weeks due to an unknown illness. If the information is confirmed, this will be the first time that the Tajik leader, whose health has deteriorated, has chosen China directly for treatment instead of Russia or a Western country.
“Elchi” reports with reference to Telegraf that Eurasia.net has reported on this.
The source stated that this is another indication of China’s growing influence in Central Asian countries:
“The official website of the President of Tajikistan posted a photo taken on January 28 at a meeting with the heads of local law enforcement agencies. Over the next 17 days, only 4 short news items were published on the site, none of which contained video or photos.
Only on February 14 was a photo shared of him shaking hands with the head of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. On February 16, Rahmon met with Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev in Dushanbe.
Radio Ozodlık writes that I.Rahmon is on Hainan Island, China, to receive medical treatment and sunbathe.
It is also claimed that the 73-year-old president has been suffering from high blood pressure and heart failure for many years.