Recently, there was a message from Afghanistan's transitional government.
Afghanistan's acting foreign minister is meeting with the Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan to discuss reopening the Wakhan Corridor, sources said.
According to the Afghan side, reopening the Wakhan Corridor will not only support Afghanistan's long-term development plans, but also bring benefits to China, which is a win-win move.
In fact, as early as last September, the Afghan Interim Government took an interest in the Wakhan Corridor. At the time, they said they wanted to build a road through China.
However, China did not give a clear response to the Afghan proposal.
So, what exactly is the Wakhan Corridor? Why is Afghanistan so concerned?
Afghanistan wants to open the Wakhan Corridor
The Wakhan Corridor connects Badakhshan province in Afghanistan with Tashkurgan in China's Xinjiang province.
The corridor is about 400 kilometers long, 100 kilometers of which are within China, and the narrowest point is less than 1 kilometer. The remaining 300 kilometers are inside Afghanistan.
If you go back to ancient times, the Wakhan Corridor was once part of the ancient Silk Road in Eurasia.
The civilizations of China, India, Central Asia and Persia all communicated through this corridor.
The ownership of the Wakhan Corridor can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty of China.
In 658, Li Zhi, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, greatly expanded his territory and defeated the Western Turkic Khanate.
From then on, the whole of Central Asia became the territory of the Tang Dynasty.
As commercial activity along the Wakhan corridor has increased, it has attracted a large number of people seeking wealth.
Marco Polo praised the Wakhan Corridor for its precious stones, horses and skilled archers, as well as the clean air, calling it a treasure on earth.
Thousands of Westerners were attracted by him and began to head east.
In 1895, Britain, Russia and Afghanistan signed a treaty dividing the Pamir Plateau.
According to the treaty, Afghanistan was given the entire Wakhan Corridor, while the northern Pamir Plateau was given to Russia.
In 1963, the two countries signed the Boundary Treaty.
The issue of ownership of the Wakhan Corridor has since been resolved.
However, the Wakhan Corridor was gradually forgotten and became an isolated route.
Today, the Wakhan Corridor and China's Xinjiang region are basically without transport links and personnel exchanges, forming a natural barrier.
Different ethnic groups live on both sides of the border, the Kirgiz and Tajik on the Chinese side and the Kyrgyz on the Afghan side.
The two sides were cut off from each other.
So why doesn't China open this "golden corridor"? Are there any concerns?
Indeed, there are many concerns. First, the climate of the Wakhan Corridor is not suitable for travel.
According to geographical data, the Wakhan Corridor is located in the plateau and alpine climate zone, with an average altitude of more than 4,000 meters.
The average annual temperature here is below zero, and the annual precipitation is less than 100 mm.
Winters are long and cold, with average temperatures as low as minus 21 degrees.
In addition, the winter snow closed the mountain for several months, and personnel and vehicles were difficult to pass.
Under such conditions, what is the point of developing the Wakhan Corridor?
Second, the Wakhan Corridor is remote and lacks resources and infrastructure.
According to relevant data, most of the Wakhan Corridor is an arid desert area.
There is only a small amount of arable land and living conditions for the local population are extremely poor.
Such an ecological environment is not conducive to development.
Third, the area has been controlled by the Northern Alliance.
The group does not answer to the Afghan interim government and controls the area.
In this context, China cannot open the Wakhan Corridor rashly.
Because there is a lack of formal security agencies, once there is a problem, it is difficult to control.
In addition to the above three problems, Afghanistan's domestic instability, terrorist activities and drug trafficking problems, are all threats to the Wakhan Corridor.
Only when these issues are addressed will the Wakhan Corridor be able to reopen.
Defence security and stability are more important than economic interests.
although
At present, the Wakhan Corridor is closed, but there are still some small trading points at the China-Arab ports.
The town of Ishkashim, for example, is a typical example.
The town is located on a mountain pass along the Wakhan Corridor.
The streets are lined with low-rise shops selling all kinds of necessities and goods imported from China.
Local merchants also offer a variety of specialty dishes, such as hand-held mutton, naan bread, Borsak, Guzi wine and youta zi.
Overall, economic activity in the Wakhan Corridor has increased compared to the past.
If the time is right in the future, China may reopen the Wakhan Corridor.
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