CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: New Delhi. Afghanistan has inaugurated the 121-kilometre-long Wakhan Corridor road that reaches China’s Xinjiang region. The road runs from the Borogil area of Badakhshan province to the Chinese border. Afghan officials have described it as a strategically, politically and economically important project for the country.
The road has been built in the extremely difficult Wakhan region, directly linking Afghanistan with China. Around 365 million Afghanis have been spent on the project. According to Afghan officials, the road was constructed by Afghan engineers and is aimed at improving connectivity and promoting trade activity in remote areas.
The development is significant for India because the Wakhan Corridor is located in north-eastern Afghanistan, with Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region to its south. The area is also connected to China’s Xinjiang. In this context, increased connectivity between Afghanistan and China through the road could trigger fresh discussion about China’s economic and strategic presence in the region.
However, it would not yet be appropriate to describe this road as a fully developed trade route to China. According to reports, the border area does not have a formal customs centre, cargo-loading facilities or other commercial infrastructure. Therefore, additional infrastructure and security arrangements will be required for its large-scale commercial use.
Experts say the construction of the road is an important step towards regional connectivity, but its actual strategic impact on India will depend on the extent to which China and Afghanistan further develop it for trade and transport.
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