*LAHORE: *China is competing with India for geo-political influence inwar-torn Afghanistan, as it moves ahead to forge closer economic ties andmaintain its hegemony over trade across Asia.
A report in *Forbes *said China is seeking closer economic ties withAfghanistan, a country ravaged by conflict and war since the 1970’s.
Afghanistan, which is a poor and landlocked country is viewed by theChinese as a major spot for new highways and railways, which would assistit in increasing trade for both sides, said experts.
Although, Spanish financial firm Santander Trade says investor rarely putAfghanistan in their top lists for investor protection as it is rankedbelow of Europe, United States and South Asia.
In a comment to *Forbes, *Professor of Strategic Management at DeakinUniversity in Australia, Stuart Orr said “China would probably see theinstability in Afghanistan as more of an opportunity than would mostcountries.”
But Chinese designs are being thwarted by increasing Indian investment inAfghanistan, where it is providing funding to build dams, roads andhospitals, said Mohan Malik, Professor at Asia Pacific Center for SecurityStudies in Honolulu.
Also, another risk cited to *Forbes *by Sameer Lalwani, Senior associateand South Asia Program co-director at the Stimson Center think tank inWashington stated “Afghani “non-state actors” have the power to support foranti-government Muslims in the nearby Chinese region of Xinjiang.”
Mr. Lalwani added the Chinese see the mining industry and other extractivepotential in Afghanistan, but it is offset by the high stabilization costsand front-end conflict management.
He said the key strategic prerogative of China in Afghanistan would be tocontrol instability and prevent it from spilling out to its other economicequities in the region.
In a larger context, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) hasextreme significance since two railway lines are being planned and Pakistanis welcoming Beijing’s investments into its infrastructure.
China’s border with Afghanistan runs over 76 kilometers, but thePakistan-Afghan line runs over 4,250 kilometers, said *Forbes.*
The extension of a road or railway across the longer border would be a veryeasy option, which could open transportation avenues to oil-rich Iran andmaybe even Turkey, reported *Forbes.*
According to Orr “From a long-term perspective, establishing a trade routethrough Pakistan and Afghanistan would introduce the option of increasingthe ease of trading directly with Iran, from whom China currently gets thebulk of its oil and has significant two-way trade. Establishing a directtrade route to Iran would then open the doors to increased tradewith Turkey.”
Afghanistan counts China as amongst its largest investors and in 2007, aChinese entity entered into a 30-year lease for $3 billion of Aynak coppermine.
And both countries have already established a railway link in September2016, which has reduced shipment times from six months by road to twoweeks, says Santander Trade.
The railway link has permitted freight to travel from far eastern China toAfghanistan’s rail port of Hairatan.