The Complex Geopolitics Of China And Afghanistan's Borderless Relationship

China shares land borders with 14 countries, one of which is Afghanistan. The Afghanistan-China border is a mere 92 kilometres (57 miles) long and is located in the far northeast of Afghanistan. The border was established in an agreement between the British and the Russians in 1895, as part of the Great Game, and was finally agreed upon by the two countries in 1963. The border is located in a remote area, crossing through several mountain passes, including the Wakhjir Pass, which is believed to have been used by the famous Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzang in 649 AD.

The Afghanistan-China border is 92 kilometres long

The Afghanistan-China border is 92 kilometres (57 miles) long and is situated in the far northeast of Afghanistan. It is a boundary between the two countries that begins at the tripoint of both countries with Pakistan's federally administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan and ends at the tripoint with Tajikistan. The border follows the watershed along the Mustagh Range and is crossed by several mountain passes, including the Wakhjir Pass in the south and the Tegermansu Pass in the north.

The Afghanistan-China border is located at the end of the long and narrow Wakhan Corridor, a remote and inaccessible region that connects Afghanistan to China's Xinjiang region. The corridor is a buffer zone that was established in 1895 through negotiations between the British and Russian empires, separating their respective territories in the region. The corridor is approximately 217 miles long and less than 9 miles wide, with its eastern end bordering China.

The Wakhjir Pass, located at the southeastern end of the Wakhan Corridor, is the only usable access point between Afghanistan and China. It is situated at an altitude of 4,923 metres (16,152 feet) and is the lowest point along the border. The pass has been used as a trading route for centuries and was part of the ancient Silk Road. However, it is not an official border crossing point, and the surrounding area is closed to visitors except for local residents and herders.

The border between Afghanistan and China marks the greatest terrestrial time zone difference in the world, with a 3.5-hour difference between the two countries' time zones. While Afghanistan observes UTC+4:30, China follows UTC+08:00. This time zone difference is due to China's decision to combine all its time zones into one during its standardization in 1949, aiming to foster "national unity."

The Afghanistan-China border holds significance for both countries in terms of security and economic opportunities. China considers the border a critical counterterrorism front line, aiming to prevent terrorist and separatist activities from spilling over into its Xinjiang region. Additionally, China has shown interest in Afghanistan's natural resources, such as copper and lithium, but has faced challenges due to the unstable political situation in Afghanistan.

The two countries have discussed enhancing trade ties and opening the Wakhan Corridor for economic purposes. However, China has resisted fully opening the border due to concerns over unrest in its western province of Xinjiang, which borders the corridor. The corridor's remote and rugged terrain, lack of modern roads, and challenging weather conditions further contribute to the complexities of border management and cross-border interactions between Afghanistan and China.

The border is crossed by several mountain passes, including Wakhjir Pass

The Wakhjir Pass, also known as the Vakhjir Pass, is a mountain pass in the Hindu Kush or Pamirs mountain ranges. Located at the eastern end of the Wakhan Corridor, it is the only pass between Afghanistan and China in the modern era. The pass links Wakhan in Afghanistan with the Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County in Xinjiang, China, at an altitude of 4,923 metres (16,152 ft).

The Wakhjir Pass is not an official border crossing point. However, it is the only navigable pass between the two countries and has been used as a trading route for thousands of years. The pass was part of the Silk Road, a trade and travel route that extended from China to Turkey and Europe for 1,800 years.

The terrain around the pass is extremely difficult and inaccessible for at least five months of the year. There is no road across the pass, and the immediate region on the Chinese side is only accessible to military personnel. On the Afghan side, the nearest road is a rough route to Sarhad-e Wakhan, about 100 kilometres from the pass.

Historically, the Wakhjir Pass has been used as a trading route between Badakhshan and Yarkand, with merchants from Bajaor using the pass to transport goods. The pass has also been used by several notable explorers and religious figures, including the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzang in 649 AD, the Jesuit priest Benedict Goëz between 1602 and 1606, and Marco Polo, who crossed the pass on his journey through the Pamirs.

In addition to the Wakhjir Pass, there are other mountain passes along the Afghanistan-China border, including the Tegermansu Pass in the north. However, the Wakhjir Pass remains the main crossing point and has been the subject of recent discussions between Afghanistan and China regarding the potential opening of the route for economic reasons and as an alternative supply route.

The border marks the greatest terrestrial time zone difference on Earth

The Afghanistan-China border is a 92-kilometre-long (57-mile) boundary between the two countries. This short border is in the far northeast of Afghanistan, and is the end of the long, narrow Wakhan Corridor. The border is crossed by several mountain passes, including the Wakhjir Pass, which is the only usable access point and was a key part of the Silk Road.

The border as it exists today was ratified by the two states in 1963 but has existed in its current form since 1895 when the British and Russian empires reshaped Afghanistan's borders to act as a buffer zone. The border's greatest time zone difference is due to China's decision to implement a single time zone across its territory, which is far larger than the ideal 15° of longitude for one hour.

The border was established in an agreement between the British and Russians in 1895

The border between Afghanistan and China was established in 1895 as part of the Great Game, a strategic battle for the Middle East and subcontinental Asia during the 19th century. The border was established through an agreement between the British and Russian empires, which reshaped Afghanistan's borders to act as a buffer zone between the two empires. This buffer zone became known as the Wakhan Corridor.

The Wakhan Corridor is a 217-mile-long and less than 9-mile-wide strip of land that ends in Afghanistan's short border with China, measuring just 46 miles. The corridor was created through Russo-British negotiations, resulting in a commission that designated the valley as a buffer zone between the two empires' territories, nominally administered by the Emir in Kabul. The decision to establish the Wakhan Corridor was made by the Pamir Boundary Commission in 1895, five years after the Second Anglo-Afghan War, in which Afghanistan fell under British influence.

The Wakhan Corridor is bordered by the Tajikistani region of Gorno-Badakhshan to the north and greater Kashmir to the south, with China lying at the far eastern end of the corridor. The corridor's western reaches are characterised by dramatic floodplains of the Panj River, while moving east, the river's tributaries lead to the "Little" and "Big" Afghan Pamirs, pastures known for their harsh winters and impressive altitude. The terrain throughout the corridor is notoriously difficult, which is one reason the Taliban never managed to take control of the region.

The Wakhan Corridor holds a rich cultural history, with a disused stupa pointing to a rich Buddhist history in the region. A now-ruined fort above the village of Sarhad-e Broghil was the site of a key battle between armies of the Tibetan and Tang Empires in the 8th century, as they wrestled for control of Silk Road trade. The Wakhan Corridor was also a key part of the Silk Road itself, with the famous Venetian explorer Marco Polo crossing the Wakhjir Pass in the corridor in the 13th or 14th century.

The border between Afghanistan and China, at the eastern end of the Wakhan Corridor, was finally agreed upon by the two countries in 1963.

The border is in a remote and mountainous region, with sparse human habitation

The Afghanistan-China border is a remote and mountainous region, with sparse human habitation. The border is located in the far northeast of Afghanistan and spans 92 kilometres (57 miles) from the tripoint of both countries with Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region to the tripoint with Tajikistan. The border traverses the Mustagh Range and is crossed by several mountain passes, including the Wakhjir Pass in the south and the Tegermansu Pass in the north. The Wakhjir Pass, located at an altitude of 4,923 metres (16,152 feet), is the only potentially navigable pass between the two countries and has served as a trading route for centuries. However, it is not an official border crossing point.

The border region is characterised by its remote and rugged terrain, making human habitation sparse. On the Afghan side, the nearest road to the Wakhjir Pass is a rough path located about 100 kilometres (62 miles) away. The pass is inaccessible for a significant portion of the year due to harsh weather conditions and difficult terrain. The Afghan province of Badakhshan, which borders China, is particularly remote and sparsely populated, with a population of less than one million people despite being the fifth-largest region in Afghanistan.

The Chinese side of the border is located in the Chalachigu Valley, which is closed to visitors except for local residents and herders. The immediate region beyond the valley is only accessible to military personnel, and a barbed wire fence has been erected along the border. The Chinese border guard maintains an outpost at Keketuluke, located just 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of the Wakhjir Pass. The valley to the east of the pass, known as the Taghdumbash Pamir, leads to the Karakoram Highway, which is approximately 80 kilometres (50 miles) away.

The border region is notable for its dramatic natural features, including floodplains, steep-sided mountains, and high-altitude pastures. The cultural history of the area is also rich, with influences from Buddhism, Islam, and historical trade routes such as the Silk Road. The Wakhan Corridor, which includes the border region, has been described as a "forgotten strip of land" that holds geopolitical significance due to the ethnicities and faiths that cross borders.

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