Geo-political Significance of the Wakhan Corridor for China

Abstract

The Wakhan Corridor is surrounded by the Mackinder’s Heart Land. Located at the cross roads of four countries: Main land Afghanistan, Tajikistan, China, and Pakistan. The Wakhan Corridor has been the most important junction point of the Silk Route since its inception. The corridor has long been used as a trade route by Europeans and Chinese to reach the Indian Plains and the Indian Ocean’s Sea Lines of Communications through the Arabian Sea Coasts. Extra regional aspects in forms of quest for the Great Game between Russia and Britain since 1838, the Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949, the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan for a decade followed by the NATO invasion of Afghanistan since 2001 has unfortunately kept any kind of infrastructural development in Wakhan as a fallacy. The opening up of Wakhjir Pass by China will surely improve regional trade and relations; however, India feels threatened as it thinks that the opening up of the Wakhan Corridor will be an outflanking maneuvre against its interests in Indian-held Kashmir; however, it cannot remain aloof of other regional and extra regional players and will be forced to share Central Asian energy resources for its economic development along with countries under the U.S. umbrella. The U.S. in combination with China must play its role for enhancing regional stability.