China sets up new county near PoK, Afghanistan border; raises strategic concerns for India
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "China sets up new county near PoK, Afghanistan border; raises strategic concerns for India")
File photo of Xi Jinping. Photograph: (AFP)
Kashgar, a historic hub along the ancient Silk Road, act as an important link between China and South and Central Asia. It is also the starting point of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which runs through PoK and has drawn objections from India.
To prevent Uyghur separatist militants, China has created a new county in its sensitive Xinjiang province, close to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the Afghanistan border. The move also includes an effort to strengthen security along the narrow Wakhan Corridor.
The newly formed county, named Cenling, lies near the Karakoram mountain range and close to PoK and Afghanistan, highlighting its strategic importance. It marks the third new county established by China in Xinjiang, a region largely dominated by Muslim Uyghur, in just over a year.
India had earlier protested against the creation of Hean and Hekang counties, arguing that parts of these areas fall within its Union Territory of Ladakh. Hean includes a significant portion of the disputed Aksai Chin, which China has controlled since the Sino-Indian War and remains a key point of tension between the two countries.
Fixed boundaries & ancient Silk Road
According to the South China Morning Post, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region government declared the establishment of Cenling on March 26; however, complete details of its administrative divisions and fixed boundaries were not mentioned.
Kashgar, a historic hub along the ancient Silk Road, serves as an important link between China and South and Central Asia. It is also the starting point of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and has drawn objections from India. Analysts believe the establishment of Cenling highlights Beijing’s increasing focus on border management and security.
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Lin Minwang, a professor at the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, said that the move "reflects China's deeper recognition of the strategic importance of this region". "At a broader level, the decision signals China's emphasis on its borderlands," Lin was quoted as saying by the Post.
He further pointed out that the new county lies close to the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan, a narrow 74-km stretch bordering Xinjiang that separates Tajikistan from PoK, underlining Beijing’s concerns over security and counterterrorism. In the past, Beijing has raised concerns about Uyghur militants linked to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement allegedly using the Wakhan Corridor as a route to enter Xinjiang from Afghanistan.
