"Labor Disputes, Security Fears Test China's Economic Projects In Tajikistan", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 23 January 2026

[...] in November at the Zarafshon gold mine, a major gold operation run by a joint venture between China's Zijin Mining and the Tajik state, [...].

Frustrated by stagnant wages and an alleged salary disparity with their Chinese peers, a group of Tajik workers petitioned the Chinese management for a pay raise, saying "the current salary of employees does not correspond" to rising consumer prices. [...].

Two workers at the company told [...] that the miners' monthly salaries ranged from 2,000 sominis to 4,000 somonis -- around $215 to $430. Their demands to increase wages and bridge any pay gap between local Tajik and Chinese employees were rejected by the Zarafshon mining company.

Other Tajik employees [...] complain about the lack of transparency in management practices and claim there are wide pay disparities between Tajik and Chinese employees.

In a written reply sent in response to the workers' petition [...] the company's director said they declined to raise the base pay for workers but announced a modest bonus system that is set to start in 2026.

That structure would give workers an extra 200 somoni ($21) for birthdays, 300 ($32) for the New Year holiday, and 500 ($53) for Norouz, the Persian New Year [...].

Workers [...] say the offer will do little satisfy their frustrations and that tensions are rising at the mining venture between local Tajik staff and Chinese employees.

Tajikistan's Ministry of Labor, Migration, and Employment told [...] that it imposed fines in 2024 following a visit of Zarafshon's operation "on the head of the HR department and the deputy head of labor protection and safety," but said that their review did not find any "wage differences between local and foreign workers."

In a statement provided [...] by Zarafshon after publication, the mining venture said it "operates in full compliance with Tajikistan's labor legislation" and that it "remains committed to responsible employment practices, compliance with applicable laws, and the long-term social and economic development of the communities in which it operates."

The firm says that it employs 3,000 people in the country, 97 percent of whom are Tajik citizens, and that the majority of management positions are held by locally-hired staff.

The statement added that the company pays a competitive salary at 3.2 times the national average wage and that according to its aggregated payroll data, the wages of Tajik employees have risen 16 percent year-on-year between 2024 to 2025, reaching approximately 7,927 somoni ($850) per month on average across the company.