China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure Route

Neo

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China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure Route


Dushanbe, Tajikistan: China has refused to connect Afghanistan with its Silk Road trade corridor project via Azure Route, claim sources

According to detail, Afghanistan requested China to connect its Azure route going through Wakhan belt to link Afghanistan to Europe via the Central Asian States but China is reluctant to connect Afghanistan to its trade route due to fears that religious Islamists might exploit this link to destabilize its Xinjian province where purists Islamists are already present and have been committing act of terrorism. "Islamists in Xinjian province are supported by Afghan terrorists and are directly linked with Taliban in Afghanistan so China cannot take risk to start traffic of Afghans to its sensitive province because Afghans are popular to bring purist Islam and terrorism to any country they travel for business, claim sources in Chinese defence establishment.

Sources maintain that Afghan government asked Beijing to help connect both countries via a land route in the northern Wakhan corridor and discussions regarding this issue took place between Ashraf Ghani and Chinese officials during the Afghan President visit to China last October.

Afghanistan needs to minimize its dependence upon Pakistan and Iran for its trade shipments due to instable relations with these countries. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who has served at the World Bank and has excellent relations among World Bank establishment is pursuing to find finances from World Bank to construct expressway from Kabul to Chinese border through its Azure route passing via Wakhan belt.

"Afghan President talked with Chinese leadership for linking Afghanistan with China via its Azure route but Chinese leadership does not buy this idea and keeping quite to accept this request of Afghanistan because credible intelligence reports that connecting Afghanistan for regular large scale trade will be devastating for Chinese security", said sources in Dushanbe.

It may be mentioned that Pakistan since last six months is thoroughly checking containers coming and going through Pakistan from Afghanistan and security and custom clearance has become very strict resulting delays in cargo shipments. According to the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, this route has seen a 40 percent decline in trade just in six months. While Iran is also discouraging use of Afghan drivers and staff for containers going to main land of Iran and mostly Iranian drivers and staff are allowed to drive to and from to Chabahar port that is second important cargo and transit route for Afghanistan. It may be mentioned that Iran has already refused to work on railway network connecting Afghanistan with Iranian towns.

Afghan traders claim that they have had very tough days with the Karachi port in Pakistan where abrupt and unforeseen delays in shipments of fresh goods and parish-able items are causing lose of millions of dollars to Afghan traders

China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure Route
 

Neo

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

Security remains the toughest challenge for landlocked Afghanistan. If muslim neighbors Iran and Pakistan are reluctant to allow Afghani drivers on their soil or to build railway links with major Afghan cities, one can not blame China to be cautious with the Silk Route.
 

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

China should worry about Pak more than Afghanistan as far as religious extremism goes
 

amoy

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

Practically like I repeat, Afghanistan shall be "soft- partiioned " by peripheral countries including Iran and Pakistan, possibly + Tajik and Uzbeck with their respective proxies (warlords, tribes, blah ) while a puppet / figurehead "central" govmt can be cobbled up in Kabul. Then Russia and China can back them up without overt intervention. Their own interest is to be safeguarded by Iran and Pakistan .

Russia had the experience of being quagmired in Afghanistan the burial ground of empires. And China simply prefers to stay out of the muslim / ethnic imbroglios.

An "intergral" Afghanistan can be maintained on the surface.

Post-Saddam Iraq is typical of a "soft partition" product de facto, virtually breaking into a Shia "central govmt" in Baghdada, and a Sunni ISIS, plus Kurdistan.
 
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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

China should worry about Pak more than Afghanistan as far as religious extremism goes
That is true. Pakistan, not Afghanistan, is the region's epicentre of religious fanaticism.
 

Srinivas_K

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

Security remains the toughest challenge for landlocked Afghanistan. If muslim neighbors Iran and Pakistan are reluctant to allow Afghani drivers on their soil or to build railway links with major Afghan cities, one can not blame China to be cautious with the Silk Route.
Iran is not a blocking any Afghanistan connectivity, this country is willing to work with others for the benefit of the region.
 

amoy

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

A Taliban delegation visited Beijing (fm their Doha office?) recently for the 1st time. An inclusive Afghani govmt may come true in the near future as US envisaged for the regional peace to come.
 

Neo

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

China should worry about Pak more than Afghanistan as far as religious extremism goes
BEIJING thinks otherwise hence she is stepping up cooperation with Pakistan and building infrastructure to enhance trade and connectivity between the two allies.
Unlike Afghanistan, China has physical presense in GB monitoring the Uyghurs who are believed to be trained in the Tajik controlled northern Afghanistan.

Where as Aghanistan is being excluded from the Azur Silk Route, China is investing $45.6 billion to build the energy corridor with Pakistan.

Actions speak more than words.
 

Srinivas_K

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

.............................................
 

Neo

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

Iran is not a blocking any Afghanistan connectivity, this country is willing to work with others for the benefit of the region.
Iran has repeatedly blocked oil tankers to Kabul causing international protests by Afghanistan between 2010-2012.
She is also blocking the trade route between Kabul and Ankara.

Iran hampers trade link between Turkey and Afghanistan
 

Srinivas_K

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

Iran has repeatedly blocked oil tankers to Kabul causing international protests by Afghanistan between 2010-2012.
She is also blocking the trade route between Kabul and Ankara.

Iran hampers trade link between Turkey and Afghanistan
Once Chahbahar port is operational then I think some kind agreement will be signed between India-Iran-Afghanistan.
 

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R



If China does not connect Afghanistan, then China will have very little purchase to bid for exploiting Afghanistan's natural resources which it has it's eye on.

As far as terrorism is concerned being waged in Xinjiang via Afghanistan, that could be so, but then Pakistan is a greater threat since Pakistan seems to have lost the plot and totally at the mercy of these terrorists.
 

amoy

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

Iran is doing us a big favour by blocking the Turkey Afghan trade. Turkey is exposed to faciliate Uyghur terrorists to join ISIS. Cutting off their links also forces Afghanis to be more dependent on immediate neighbours. :)

来自我的 MI PAD 上的 Tapatalk
 
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Srinivas_K

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

Iran is doing us a big favour by blocking the Turkey Afghan trade. Turkey is exposed to faciliate Uyghur terrorists to join ISIS. Cutting off their links also forces Afghanis to be more dependent on immediate neighbours. :)

来自我的 MI PAD 上的 Tapatalk
This is the idea of China and Pakistan.

Pakistan and China think they can dominate C.Asia once USA and NATO leaves. Prize for Pakistan is strategic depth and for China increasing the footprints in C.Asia and dominating there.

It is a complex game.

Russia is keen in partnering India and wants to work with its former soviet countries so that they will remain with Russia with out falling into Chinese sphere of influence.

USA and West want some one to balance the power of Chinese dominance there. But no one wants to go into Afghanistan to execute projects and improve the lives there.

Which is where India's policy comes into the picture. Prize for India is access to energy rich Central Asia, a big boost for "Make in India" initiative as C.Asia is a big market, an edge over the Pakistan's bullying Plus Afghan mineral wealth also offers some economic benefit for corporate companies who are working there.

So all in all India's C.Asian policy is a long term initiative, which takes into consideration all the sensitivities of the neighbouring countries concerns except some who are supporters of radical elements and wants to use religious ideology to subjugate territories.
 
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hit&run

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

China should worry about Pak more than Afghanistan as far as religious extremism goes
Since when troubled regions have become impediment for jobs and investment hungry China ?

China simply want Afghanistan be dependent on Pakistan. China on her part will make sure Afghanistan doesn't get connected with rest of the world. Both China and Pakistan cater each others interests.

Pakistan is a curse to land locked Afghanistan and now countries like Iran and Russia can help them to be better connected via land with the world. China will make sure Afghanistan remain backyard of Pakistan and be dependent on the corridor they are investing money on to connect China and Pakistan. Just recently Afghanistan was pleading Pakistan to let the goods via wagha border keep flowing.

I hope Afghans see China's role in all this before letting them mine their minerals and be allowed to do investment in their country which soon will be playing with GDP in double digits.
 

hit&run

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

This is the idea of China and Pakistan.
You beat me by ten minutes but trust me I didn't saw your post as I was writing my thoughts. :cool2::p:namaste:
 

Neo

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

Once Chahbahar port is operational then I think some kind agreement will be signed between India-Iran-Afghanistan.
Would be, should be, could be....the fact remains that Southern Afghanistan is still Taleban controlled and it will remain a Taleban stronghold for foreseeable future.

China is also keen to take over the Chahbahar port and link it with Gwadar. If that happens, India can say good bye to CAR. :)
 

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

Would be, should be, could be....the fact remains that Southern Afghanistan is still Taleban controlled and it will remain a Taleban stronghold for foreseeable future.

China is also keen to take over the Chahbahar port and link it with Gwadar. If that happens, India can say good bye to CAR. :)
Afghanistan is not the only route to CAR as one would know if one ever saw an Atlas.

India has good relations with Iran and will use its infrastructure to connect with CAR.

Why do you think India has constructed the Chabahar port. Double purpose. Use the Afghan corridor as also have the alternate through Iran.

But let me help those who have not seen an Atlas.





 
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amoy

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

@sriniva_K Indias so called long term initiative hinges on one Iranian port. Without Chahabar u have no access to the landlocked Afghan and CAR at large.

For the time being Iran feels it better to partner with India in the adventure hence the corridor Is open for India to the landlocked pit. However gradually Iran will come to see it not to its own advantage to get an extra player on board. Iran along with powers on the periphery r enough to handle it and China (Iran's top Bhai) is known at odds with India. On the other hand India only adds to the competition for resources while adding no value to the security! What India can do for afghan is replaceable, such as hardware software and trainings for ANA?! At the point the only entry to CAR may be tightened for India.

To be or not to be, that is a question.
 
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Srinivas_K

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Re: China refuses connect Afghanistan with Silk Road trade via Azure R

@sriniva_K Indias so called long term initiative hinges on one Iranian port. Without Chahabar u have no access to the landlocked Afghan and CAR at large.

For the time being Iran feels it better to partner with India in the adventure hence the corridor Is open for India to the landlocked pit. However gradually Iran will come to see it not to its own advantage to get an extra player on board. Iran along with powers on the periphery r enough to handle it and China (Iran's top Bhai) is known at odds with India. On the other hand India only adds to the competition for resources while adding no value to the security! What India can do for afghan is replaceable, such as hardware software and trainings for ANA?! At the point the only entry to CAR may be tightened for India.

To be or not to be, that is a question.
Yes China is a heavy weight but India has its cards to play. When a big power like china ventures into a region, countries in that region call for counter weight so that they will not get bullied or their policies get hijacked.

For the time being Iran and India's strategic interests are converging in Afghanistan along with Russia, this also do not mean the three players are supporters of Northern Alliance so they implement the old soviet policies in Afghanistan.

Last 15 years have brought some changes in Afghanistan and all countries agree on one point that democracy is the future.
 
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