An Afghan checkpoint near the Afghan-Chinese border in the Wakhan Corridor in northern Afghanistan (Al Jazeera)

Kabul -

Afghan government officials announced the completion of construction of the Wakhan Road in Badakhshan Province in the north of the country, and Afghanistan has been officially linked to China through this corridor, which is described as the most important strategic points in the north of the country.

The Governor of Badakhshan Province, Mawlawi Ayoub Khaled, told Al Jazeera Net, "After work that lasted 5 months, we were able to build a road to the border with China that connects the two countries for the first time in their history by land. This is a major step towards economic development and revitalizing the tourism sector in the region."

Kabul and Beijing signed a memorandum of understanding to study the construction of the road in the Wakhan Corridor in 2009. Then, during his visit to China in 2014, former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called on the Chinese authorities to begin work, but the security situation in the valley prevented the completion of the work.

When the Taliban movement came to power, it focused on building the road to reduce dependence on Pakistani roads and ports.

The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow strip of land in Afghanistan, about 350 kilometers long and 13 to 65 kilometers wide, and is generally an uninhabited mountainous area.

Wakhan Province, with a population of less than 20,000 people, shares borders with China's Xinjiang province in the east, Tajikistan in the north, and Pakistan in the south.

The corridor is considered one of the most pristine areas in the world, and its climatic conditions differ from other areas in Afghanistan, but it will certainly have great benefits for increasing economic cooperation and cooperation between Beijing and Kabul.

The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow strip of land in Afghanistan with a length of about 350 kilometers (Al Jazeera)

Alternate corridor

Writer and political researcher Abdul Wali Naibazi told Al Jazeera Net, “Afghan-Pakistani trade relations are affected by political positions, and Islamabad closed 5 major crossings with Kabul, which caused severe damage to trade and the economy, so the current government is thinking about reducing dependence on Pakistani ports, and chose to go To Iran and Central Asia.

He added, "The Wakhan Corridor is an alternative to Pakistani ports, especially since the countries located north of Afghanistan think about economics and trade more than politics," according to his opinion.

China, which wants to reach different markets within the scope of the Belt and Road project, is trying to create alternative corridors and roads, and has established trade relations with countries on the Asian continent, and one of its most important goals in the region is to build a road network that will enable it to access global and regional markets.

After the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, China set its sights on Kabul for many reasons, the most important of which are its geographical distance, investment in Afghan mines, and the construction of a road in the Wakhan Corridor, the shortest route to Beijing.

Afghanistan has repeatedly faced the problem of trade with China through Pakistan, and the tense Afghan-Pakistani political relations for two decades have also harmed trade between the two countries.

The former Afghan ambassador to China, Javed Qaim, explains to Al Jazeera Net, “This is a positive step that has its price. In the previous government, we spoke with the Chinese side to build this road, but the security situation prevented that, and the current government must provide more information about the nature of the road and its importance in the exchange.” trade and linking the country with China and Central Asia.

Afghan Border Minister Mullah Nurullah Nouri: The Wakhan Road will have a positive impact on the country’s economy (Al Jazeera)

Positive effect

The Minister of Borders and Tribes in the current Afghan government, Nourullah Nouri, was the first government figure to visit these areas to assess the security and living situation and determine the construction of the road.

Minister Nouri told Al Jazeera Net, "I was able to visit the Wakhan Corridor to inspect the situation there. We want complete control over our borders, and this road will have a positive impact on the country's economy, and tourism will revive because this region is unique in its weather and nature."

Nouri adds, "What distinguishes this region is that it is a strategic point, as its altitude is 4,600 meters above sea level, while the mountains reach a height of 7,400 meters. It will be a connecting point between Afghanistan and three countries in the region."

The official in the Afghan Ministry of Trade, Abdul Salam Jawad, told Al Jazeera Net that the World Bank will soon return to Kabul and resume work on the suspended projects, noting that the Wakhan Corridor will provide annually $6 billion and job opportunities for citizens living in the Afghan province of Badakhshan.

It is worth noting that this road was used 2,000 years ago as the main Silk Road, and a large part of it passes through Afghan territory. Previous governments tried to revive it, but the security situation did not allow this.

Afghan officials and local residents inspect the Wakhan land corridor linking Afghanistan to China (Al Jazeera)

Strengthening cooperation

The Wakhan Corridor is expected to strengthen Afghanistan's position in its relations with major and regional powers, and access to global markets, and the road could be used in the future as a transit route between Iran and India to Central Asia.

The road could also facilitate cooperation between the four countries bordering the Wakhan Corridor: China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

Geographically, the Wakhan Corridor is unique, because it is located at the crossroads of these four countries. It has great historical value as it is part of the ancient Silk Road. Afghanistan shares a length of 300 km with Pakistan, 260 km with Tajikistan, and 74 km with China.

Beijing closed its borders with Kabul following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, and this remained so throughout the presence of American forces in Afghanistan.

Source: Al Jazeera