Afghanistan Peace Campaign
The future of the Wakhan Corridor will shape far more than trade routes; it will determine whether Afghanistan becomes a bridge for cooperation or a battleground for rivalry.
China’s push to extend CPEC through Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor promises economic gain but ignites tensions, with India, Western powers, and regional rivals alarmed over shifting geopolitical balances.
Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip in northeastern Afghanistan, stretches about 350 km and connects Afghanistan to China, making it a vital yet historically overlooked geopolitical passage. Once part of the ancient Silk Road, Wakhan linked China, Central Asia, and South Asia, carrying trade caravans and cultural exchanges across harsh mountains and valleys.
In the 19th century, Wakhan was deliberately carved out as a buffer during the “Great Game,” preventing direct contact between British India and Tsarist Russia. Today, Wakhan remains Afghanistan’s only direct link to China, giving it strategic significance for Beijing, Islamabad, and Kabul — and anxiety for Delhi and Washington.
China sees Wakhan as a potential extension of the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project linking Xinjiang to Gwadar Port.
Through Wakhan, Beijing could connect Xinjiang directly to Afghanistan, expand influence in Central Asia, and advance its “Digital Silk Road” plans with fiber optics and communications infrastructure. Security drives China’s interest too. Beijing fears Uyghur militants from the East Turkestan Islamic Movement could use Afghanistan’s borders to infiltrate Xinjiang if the corridor remains unmonitored.
China has already signaled readiness to invest in Afghanistan mining, including lithium and copper, tying Wakhan’s infrastructure to broader resource extraction ambitions crucial for green technologies.
Pakistan also sees opportunity. Wakhan could connect neglected areas like Chitral to Central Asia, easing reliance on fragile trade routes and boosting Islamabad’s regional economic footprint.
Afghanistan’s Taliban, isolated under sanctions and economic collapse, view Wakhan as leverage. They hope China’s investments might rebuild infrastructure and legitimize their rule regionally.
In September 2024, China’s ambassador and Taliban ministers inspected Wakhan’s border site, signaling Beijing’s cautious but growing interest in funding corridor infrastructure — if security is guaranteed. India has fiercely opposed Afghanistan’s inclusion in CPEC, citing sovereignty issues over Kashmir, where parts of CPEC traverse territory New Delhi calls “illegally occupied” by Pakistan.
New Delhi fears Wakhan’s integration into CPEC would deepen China-Pakistan dominance, undermine India’s investments in projects like Iran’s Chabahar Port, and shrink its influence in Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Western powers quietly share India’s concern, wary of BRI giving Beijing a stronger presence in the Indian Ocean and West Asia, shifting regional balance of power. U.S. policymakers caution against CPEC’s expansion into Afghanistan, emphasizing risks of debt dependence, lack of transparency, and deeper Chinese geopolitical leverage.
The Wakhan extension of CPEC now embodies a tangled contest, not just over trade, but over security, sovereignty, and the future shape of regional geopolitics. The future of the Wakhan Corridor will define more than trade routes; it will test whether Afghanistan becomes a bridge for cooperation or another fault line of rivalry.
DISCLAIMER – The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of The Khaama Press News Agency.