Recently, Atta government officials said that thanks to the hard work of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development of Afghanistan, the construction of the Lesser Pamir Highway has been successfully completed. The road is 50 kilometers long and 5 meters wide, connecting China and Afghanistan. As soon as the news was announced, it quickly attracted a lot of attention, because the path connects to the well-known Wakhan Corridor.
Although the road is only 50 kilometers long, it took an unusually long time to build, having been built since the previous administration, but due to the volatile situation in Afghanistan, it was not officially completed until today. The Atta authorities proudly point out that the section of the road is wholly owned and the total investment is up to 36 million yuan. It is worth noting that the Atta government has recently cracked down on the drug trade, and the government's main source of revenue has been choked. Why are they so insistent on completing the road at a time when money is tight?
(Workers building roads inside the Wakhan Corridor)
As we can see from the map, China has 14 land neighbors, and the most special one is Afghanistan. The border between China and Afghanistan can be said to be very strange, connected by a very narrow territory, and this is what we often call the "Wakhan Corridor". The Wakhan Corridor, the only land corridor between China and Afghanistan, is geographically critical, but it has not been fully utilized due to inadequate infrastructure. Most of the land trade between China and Argentina is transshipped through Pakistan.
Although the Afghan side has repeatedly proposed in the past to promote direct ties between China and Afghanistan through the Wakhan Corridor, China has not been very active in how to connect with Afghanistan and integrate Afghanistan into the Belt and Road Initiative. At this stage, the Taliban are actively repairing this section of the road, and their intentions are as clear as Sima Zhao's heart - everyone knows it.
First, a direct connection to China through the Wakhan Corridor would not only open up a huge export market for Afghanistan, but also boost its economic benefits and boost the growth of trade and logistics services within the country. At the same time, the establishment of direct links with an economic powerhouse like China is also expected to attract Chinese investment in key sectors such as infrastructure and mining, and promote the country's economic development at the root. More critically, it will help Afghanistan reduce its dependence on Pakistan and ensure the country's diplomatic self-determination and strategic flexibility.
(Wakhan Corridor)
Therefore, in the past few years, whenever the Afghan side has had the opportunity to talk to China, it has brought up this matter. At this stage, Atta is releasing information again, which is obviously also a test of China. However, there has been no clear response from the Chinese side. Moreover, in the final analysis, the current opening of the road is only a physical connection, and to achieve a real connection, it depends on the international situation, the domestic situation in Afghanistan, and the strategic positioning of China and Afghanistan on this route.
On the issue of security, for example, although the Taliban have declared a severance with terrorist groups since they took control of Afghanistan and continue to suppress the movement of these groups, there are still many elements of insecurity, such as armed groups resisting the Taliban and frequent factional strife within the country. Recently, some extremist groups have even used Afghanistan as a base to carry out attacks on neighboring countries. Therefore, against this background, the Chinese side cannot rest assured that the border with Afghanistan will be fully opened.
Next up is the economic aspect, where China already has an excellent trade route, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. At the end of last year, the mainland and Palestine jointly confirmed the decision to extend the corridor to Afghanistan. At the last "Rim of the Himalayas" summit, the Chinese representative reaffirmed the plan in front of the Arab side. Although the Wakhan Corridor is a direct link between China and Afghanistan, it will take a long time to build and be put into use due to its difficult geographical conditions and lack of mature transportation facilities.
(The Taliban are not yet able to guarantee security)
Finally, from a political point of view, Atta's relations with most of its neighbors are currently strained. To the east, there are many differences between Afghanistan and Iran over borders, water resources, religion and other issues. In May, the two countries also clashed over the water conservancy of the Helmand River. In addition, the relationship between Atta and Pakistan is not harmonious, and since 2021, there have been several armed clashes along the border due to tribal disputes. So the problem Atta now faces is to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a base for extremist groups to infiltrate neighboring countries.
China is well aware of Atta's demands and understands Atta's urgent need for economic development. But at this stage, China is unlikely to be able to relentless on the issue of the Wakhan Corridor. Next, China, Russia, Iran, and Pakistan plan to convene another important meeting at the end of January to discuss the complex challenges facing Afghanistan. The extent to which the issue of counter-terrorism can be resolved will be a prerequisite for the development of relations between countries and Afghanistan. Therefore, whether this road can come in handy depends on Atta's next performance and whether he can gain the trust of these countries. When the Taliban have better fulfilled their commitments at the meeting, it will not be too late for the two countries to sit down and discuss the Wakhan corridor.