New Delhi: In a move poised to strengthen Afghanistan’s economic and strategic ties with China, IEA spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced that the two countries will be connected through the Wakhan Corridor Road this year. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) is the official name that the Taliban uses for the government they established in the country.
The Wakhan Corridor highlights Kabul’s increasing bonhomie with Beijing and openly distancing itself from Islamabad. If it is completed, the Wakhan Corridor road would bypass Pakistan, establishing a direct route between Afghanistan and China. Speaking of geopolitical significance, it would drastically reduce the travel time between Central Asia and China.
Elaborating on the project, Mujahid said that Afghanistan will earn $6 billion annually from transit revenues once it is connected with China by the Wakhan Road. Emphasising the impact that it could have on the country, the IEA Spokesman said that one year of transit revenue could “significantly change Afghanistan’s economic future”.
Afghanistan to Connect with China via Wakhan Road This Year – IEA Spokesman
Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has announced that Afghanistan and China will be connected through the Wakhan Corridor road this year.
He stated that upon completion, Afghanistan will earn… pic.twitter.com/bt0rcvqTCs
— Kabul Frontline (@KabulFrontline) March 25, 2025
Earlier this month, the Taliban’s Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development signed a contract for the second phase of the Wakhan Corridor Road project. The contract covers the construction of the 71-kilometre road segment in the northeastern region.
Speaking about the first phase of the project while signing the contract in Kabul on March 13, 2025, the Taliban’s Rural Development Minister Mohammad Younus Akhundzada said that Phase I spans 50 kilometres and the construction is currently underway.
The economics of the Wakhan Corridor Road
According to Mohammad Younus Akhundzada, the first phase cost $2.5 million, while the second phase is valued at $2 million. The funding comes from the national budget, he had claimed.
However, a report in The Washington Post citing satellite imagery claims no visible construction on the Wakhan Corridor Road since August 2023. US media reports highlight images provided by the commercial satellite company Maxar that raise questions about the actual progress of the project.
However, the Taliban Minister confidently stated that the “remaining work on the first phase will be completed soon”.
While private companies in China have been inking deals with the IEA, the Chinese government under Xi Jinping has been dealing with the Taliban with abundant caution. So far, Beijing has refrained from committing to major infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, including the Wakhan Corridor.
