China sets up new county near PoK, Afghanistan to strengthen border security

China has created a new county in its sensitive western region of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, close to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the Afghanistan border, in a move seen as aimed at strengthening border security .

The county, named Cenling , is located near the Karakoram Range and in proximity to the narrow Wakhan Corridor, a strategically significant stretch connecting Afghanistan with China. The corridor has long been viewed by Beijing as a potential route for militant infiltration .

The Xinjiang regional government announced the formation of Cenling on March 26 , although details regarding its exact boundaries and administrative divisions remain unclear. The new county will fall under the jurisdiction of Kashgar Prefecture, a key gateway linking China with South and Central Asia .

This marks the third such administrative move in just over a year . India had earlier objected to the creation of Hean County and Hekang County, asserting that parts of these jurisdictions overlap with its union territory of Ladakh, including areas of Aksai Chin. The region has remained a flashpoint since the 1962 Sino-Indian War .

Experts say the establishment of Cenling highlights China’s growing emphasis on border governance and security control . The move is also linked to concerns over the activities of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which Beijing believes could exploit the Wakhan Corridor to access Xinjiang.

Strategically, the region holds added significance as Kashgar serves as the starting point of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a multi-billion-dollar project that passes through PoK and has been consistently opposed by India .

Analysts note that the creation of new counties reflects Beijing’s broader effort to tighten administrative control and enhance stability in regions prone to ethnic tensions and cross-border threats .