Acting Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development Mohammad Yunus Akhundzada has said during a meeting with the Chinese ambassador in Kabul that the construction of Wakhan road – connecting Afghanistan with China – is in full swing.(20240409)

He said the construction of the road was important for strengthening the economy of both countries and said that the road will benefit Afghanistan, China and the Central Asian countries.

In the meeting, Chinese ambassador, Zhao Xing, emphasized that his country will continue to cooperate with Afghanistan in the execution of developmental projects.

According to economic experts, the construction of the Wakhan-Xinjiang road will not only reduce transportation costs for traders, but it will also enable traders to transport goods by road without having to wait for flights via the air corridor.

After the takeover of the Islamic Emirate, Afghanistan’s commercial and political relations with China have expanded. Experts believe that China wants to have greater investment in Afghanistan, as it would ensure its economic interests.

It has been feared that terrorists and separatist militants could use this road which is located in Badakhshan province to penetrate inside Chinese territory. Meanwhile, China so far also has no intention to bring custom facilities where Afghanistan meets the autonomous Xinjiang. Chinese media reported that Beijing has no intention to add a formal crossing point in this area. The Chinese border guards are patrolling in Wakhjir Pass at the eastern end of the Wakhan Corridor where the road is located and connects Afghanistan and China by land.
 

Near SHAYMAK, Tajikistan -- In a remote stretch of land near the Wakhan Corridor not far from Tajikistan’s mountainous border with northeastern Afghanistan, China's regional ambitions are adjusting to a new reality on the ground.

Next to an old Soviet outpost and believed to have existed for at least five years, a collection of strategically located buildings and lookout towers controlled by Chinese troops are part of Beijing's nascent but growing hard-power footprint in the region focused on security in neighboring Afghanistan.

Though both the Chinese and Tajik governments officially deny the existence of the base and Chinese personnel, a visit by an RFE/RL source near the compound and the surrounding area saw Beijing’s first military footprint in Central Asia in full swing as it finds itself at a crossroads following the Taliban’s August takeover of Afghanistan.

Through interviews with current and former officials in Afghanistan and Tajikistan, details provided by people living near China’s unofficial military base, expert analysis, and observations by an RFE/RL source in the area, an image emerges of a rising China slowly shifting its role into security matters in the region.(20211014)

BACKGROUND:
Located 12-14 kilometers from the Tajik-Afghan border and 30 kilometers from the Tajik-China border in Gorno-Badakhshan province, the Chinese base overlooks a crucial entry point from China into Central Asia. It is also close to the vital Wakhan corridor in Afghanistan, which is a key way station for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Satellite reconnaissance shows the presence of heliports and the base’s suitability for an approximately battalion-sized force supported by armored vehicles, in other words, light infantry. These facts, in and of themselves, highlight the nexus between the BRI program and its strategic political implications along with its more obvious economic objectives.(20190418)