China's Security‐First Strategy in Afghanistan: Rethinking the Wakhan Corridor

This study examines China's approach to the Wakhan Corridor and argues that Beijing's policy toward Afghanistan is shaped primarily by a Hierarchical Security‐Development Nexus reinforced through China's National Security Concept. While recent Afghanistan‐Pakistan trade disruptions have increased Kabul's interest in Wakhan as an alternative route, China remains unwilling to advance connectivity without credible security guarantees. Drawing on policy analysis, field interviews, and official documents, the study shows that the corridor's strategic importance is asymmetric: vital for Afghanistan but secondary for China. The article contributes to debate on China's regional strategy by demonstrating how security concerns precede economic opportunities in fragile borderlands.