Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$7.574 billion (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.7% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Taiwan
Disputes - international:
involved in complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China,
Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; claimants in
November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in
the South China Sea", a mechanism to ease tension but which fell
short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; Paracel Islands
occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; claims
Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai), as
does China
Illicit drugs:
regional transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; major
problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Tajikistan
Introduction Tajikistan
Background:
Tajikistan has experienced three changes in government and a
five-year civil war since it gained independence in 1991 from the
USSR. A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in 1997, and
implemented in 2000. The central government's less than total
control over some areas of the country has forced it to compromise
and forge alliances among factions. Attention by the international
community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought
increased economic development assistance, which could create jobs
and increase stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early
stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined
NATO's Partnership for Peace.