Taliban Reports 70% Progress on Wakhan Corridor Project Linking Afghanistan to China

The Taliban-run Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development has announced that the Wakhan Corridor project in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province, which stretches to the Chinese border, has reached 70 percent completion. According to the ministry, the project is considered one of the key infrastructure initiatives in the region.

Officials from the ministry stated that efforts are underway to complete the gravel laying phase of the route by the end of the next solar year, after which more substantial construction will begin. The Wakhan Corridor is a remote, mountainous passage that connects Afghanistan to China’s Xinjiang region.

Nurulhadi Adel, spokesperson for the ministry, said the 120-kilometer Wakhan-Badakhshan project is being implemented in two phases and is progressing significantly. He highlighted that once completed, the corridor will provide major logistical advantages for Afghan businesses.

According to the spokesperson, the Wakhan Corridor has the potential to yield mutual economic benefits for both Afghanistan and China—a point that China’s ambassador to Afghanistan has previously emphasized. However, details regarding the project’s funding sources, financial transparency, and implementation mechanisms have not been openly shared with the public.

Meanwhile, Abdul Nasir Rashtia, an economic affairs analyst, described the Wakhan Corridor as a strategic route. He stated that effective access to Chinese markets through the corridor could bring about substantial economic change for Afghanistan. Rashtia stressed that the success of such projects depends on transparent planning, effective management, and ensuring the public interest is safeguarded.

The project comes at a time when extensive trade restrictions and disruptions have strained commerce between Kabul and Islamabad, prompting an urgent need for alternative trade routes. The Wakhan Corridor could emerge as a viable option to reduce Afghanistan’s economic dependence on Pakistan—though its success hinges on the Taliban government’s practical performance and accountability in infrastructure execution.