STORY: China-built road helps improve life of Afghan people
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 2, 2025
DATELINE: Jan. 8, 2025
LENGTH: 00:00:51
LOCATION: NANGARHAR, Afghanistan
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Nangarhar-Kabul highway, which was built with the help of China, farmland and farmers at work in eastern Afghanistan
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): ROHUDIN, Resident of Nangarhar province
3. various of the Nangarhar-Kabul highway, which was built with the help of China, farmland and farmers at work in eastern Afghanistan
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): HAMAYON, Resident of Nangarhar province
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Dari): HAMAYON, Resident of Nangarhar province
6. various of the Nangarhar-Kabul highway, which was built with the help of China, farmland and farmers at work in eastern Afghanistan

STORYLINE:

A China-built road across Surkh Rod district in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province has significantly improved local residents' ability to transport products to markets. Now, locals are able to earn better incomes and afford improved living conditions.

A local farmer named Rohudin told Xinhua that the road allows residents to bring their agricultural products to the national capital of Kabul and the provincial capital of Jalalabad city.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): ROHUDIN, Resident of Nangarhar province
"The construction and asphalting of this road has benefited us a lot. This road has enabled us to transport our products to Kabul and Jalalabad."

Another farmer, Hamayon, said the road has transformed the lives of the residents of Surkh Rod and adjoining areas.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): HAMAYON, Resident of Nangarhar province
"With this asphalted road, it's now much easier to take patients to the hospital and transport our vegetables and other produce to markets."

With the improved road access, Hamayon's income has grown substantially.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Dari): HAMAYON, Resident of Nangarhar province
"Our income has increased. In the past, we could hardly earn 100,000 afghani (1,412 U.S. dollars) to 200,000 afghani (2,824 U.S. dollars) annually. Now, we can earn 200,000 afghani to 300,000 afghani (4,285 U.S. dollars) in each harvest season."

Acknowledging the importance of the China-built road linking Jalalabad city to Kabul, Nangarhar public relations officer Qurishi Badlon called the road a "significant transit highway" that had provided job opportunities and led to improvement in living conditions.

Over the past two decades, China has played a vital role in Afghanistan's development efforts. In addition to providing humanitarian assistance, China has invested in mining projects and critical infrastructure construction including roads and the Jamhoriat Hospital in Kabul.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nangarhar, Afghanistan.
(XHTV)