Bagram Air Base & Wakham Corridor  

Why in News? The Bagram Air Base has been in the news in May 2025 due to their strategic significance in Afghanistan, evolving geopolitical dynamics, and claims involving major powers like the United States, China, and the Taliban.

 About Bagram Air Base:

Bagram Air Base, located 60 km north of Kabul, Afghanistan, is one of the largest and most strategically important airfields in the region. Built by the USSR in the 1950s, it served as a key base during the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989) and the U.S.-led operations (2001–2021). It was abandoned by the U.S. in 2021 during the withdrawal, leaving it under Taliban control.

Reasons for Being in the News:

• Trump’s Claims of Chinese Occupation: In early 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that China had occupied Bagram Air Base, citing its proximity (allegedly one hour) to Chinese nuclear weapons facilities in Xinjiang. These claims, made during speeches like the National Day of Prayer address on May 1, 2025, were rejected by both the Taliban and Beijing, who labeled them as misinformation.

The Wakhan Corridor :

Background: The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow, 350 km-long strip in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, connecting Afghanistan to China’s Xinjiang region. A product of the 19th-century “Great Game” to buffer British and Russian empires, it is strategically vital due to its proximity to China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and India’s Gilgit-Baltistan region.

Reasons for Being in the News:

• China’s Strategic Interest: Reports in January 2025 highlighted China’s interest in controlling the Wakhan Corridor to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), to Central Asia and revive the Silk Road. This raised security concerns for India, as it could strengthen China-Pakistan collusion against India.

• China’s caution due to security threats (e.g., ISKP attacks on Chinese nationals in Afghanistan in 2022 and January 2025) was noted, but its long-term interest in the corridor persisted.