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Afghanistan has recently unveiled a road through the remote Wakhan Corridor, creating a potential direct land link with China and establishing new dynamics in regional geopolitics, according to reports from last week. The 121-kilometre unpaved road running towards the Chinese border could consequently lower Afghanistan’s reliance on Pakistan for trade access while giving China another route into a strategically critical part of Central and South Asia. For India, the road raises crucial concerns about China’s growing regional impact and the strategic significance of territory near Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
What is the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan?
The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow strip of Afghan territory in the northeastern Badakhshan province. It separates Tajikistan from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and extends towards China’s Xinjiang region. Historically, the corridor became a buffer zone between opposing empires during the 19th-century Great Game.
The road project is a massive infrastructure development for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, and reportedly cost around 365 million Afghanis, or approximately $5.5 million, and was created by Afghan engineers without foreign assistance. However, the road’s opening does not automatically mean that a fully operational international trade corridor is built.
Why does China want access through Afghanistan?
China has enormous economic and strategic interests in Afghanistan, which possesses substantial mineral resources, including copper, lithium and other valuable deposits. Enhanced road connectivity could eventually facilitate trade, transport equipment and support Chinese investment in the country.
The new route could also provide China with an alternative to routes passing through Pakistan. China has invested heavily in Pakistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), but repeated attacks on Chinese nationals and infrastructure projects have raised security concerns.
Developing additional routes could enable China to diversify its regional connectivity. However, the mountainous terrain, harsh conditions, restricted infrastructure and security impediments imply that the Wakhan Corridor is unlikely to become a key commercial route overnight. China also remains alert to militant activity near its Xinjiang region.
Why is India concerned about the Wakhan Corridor?
For India, the corridor embodies both geopolitical and security implications. Its southern boundary runs alongside territory claimed by India but presently controlled by Pakistan, namely the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The opening of the road could facilitate Chinese access to a sensitive zone near the wider India-Pakistan-China strategic landscape.
Moreover, India has also long condemned the CPEC, parts of which pass through PoK. Greater Chinese economic or strategic overtures near this region could add to India’s pressing concerns about China’s presence in its neighbourhood.
Despite the contested issues, the corridor could eventually offer opportunities for India to boost its engagement with Afghanistan and Central Asia. However, India cannot directly access the route without resolving the massive geographical and political barriers posed by Pakistan-controlled territory.
The future of the new route
The road’s strategic importance will rely on whether China and Afghanistan forge regular cross-border trade, customs facilities and reliable transport infrastructure. China’s intent to invest in the route will also depend on security conditions and its review of the economic benefits.