China welcomes resumption of Pak-Afghan trade

BEIJING: China has welcomed the resumption of trade relations and people exchanges between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“Pakistan and Afghanistan overcome impact of the Covid-19 and restored their trade and people to people exchange. China applause that,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Hua Chunying said during a regular briefing.

Pakistan had closed all trade routes with Afghanistan in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but has now reopened Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Chaman Balochistan province, two major crossings with Afghanistan, for both the bilateral trade and the Afghan transit trade.

These border crossings are now operationalized for 24 hours a day and six days a week to facilitate cross-border trade, which has been affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic in both countries.

Besides the two major routes, Pakistan has also opened three other routes with Afghanistan including Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan tribal district, Angor Adda in South Waziristan tribal district and Kharlachi in Kurram tribal district.

The Chinese spokesperson remarked that as neighbour and friend to both two countries, China wants to see better relations between the two and economic growth of the two, adding, “We will like to play a constructive role in this regard”.

She said China supports the extension of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan so that the Afghan people can benefit from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

“We are pleased to see Gwadar port and other CPEC projects playing a positive role in this and we will like to work with both Pakistan and Afghanistan to this end,” she added.

According to experts, Pakistan’s decision to open routes for Afghan trade is positive step and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) can greatly enhance regional connectivity and link Pakistan with Central Asia via Afghanistan.

Pakistan and Afghanistan revised a transit trade agreement in 2010, which calls for better facilitation in the movement of goods between the two countries.

”Since January 2020, Afghan trade is utilizing the Gwadar port which is the centerpiece of CPEC, for transporting to Afghanistan which is a shorter route than the Karachi port.”

“Pakistan announced in October last year to open the Gwadar port for the Afghan transit trade as the trade related infrastructure at the port was already to handle bulk cargoes to and from Afghanistan,” she added.

The first ship carrying containers for Afghan transit trade arrived at the Gwadar port on 14th January, 2020. A cargo ship carrying about 16,000 tonnes urea for transit to Afghanistan arrived at Gwadar in May.