The Taliban’s decision to describe the Wakhan Corridor’s southeastern border as Jammu & Kashmir instead of Gilgit-Baltistan is a clever psychological provocation against Pakistan, albeit one which remains below the threshold of unacceptability and thus couldn’t legitimately justify a kinetic response.
The east end of Wakhan Corridor reaching China is currently under lockdown all year round. The passage is useable only half a year at most. In comparison, the strategically important Karakoram Highway, important to both Pakistan and China, passes through Gilgit. My guess is Afghanistan and China would both prefer status quo, line of actual control, without getting trapped into the India-Pakistan conflict. IMHO, in theory, it is best to have Kashmir being independent and exercise sovereign. But in reality, it seems the area has not accumulated enough talents to manage their mountainous country with little resources but a strategically important mountain passage (used to build the Karakoram Highway). Then Kashmir simply cannot hold on to its independence. From China's perspective, the key goal of Karakoram Highway is to pass through Pakistan to reach the port in Balochistan on the shore of Indian Ocean. China can deal with two entities: Pakistan and Kashmir, or just Pakistan. Of course the latter approach is simpler. As for Kashmir people's will, I guess nobody would really pay attention.
The east end of Wakhan Corridor reaching China is currently under lockdown all year round. The passage is useable only half a year at most. In comparison, the strategically important Karakoram Highway, important to both Pakistan and China, passes through Gilgit. My guess is Afghanistan and China would both prefer status quo, line of actual control, without getting trapped into the India-Pakistan conflict. IMHO, in theory, it is best to have Kashmir being independent and exercise sovereign. But in reality, it seems the area has not accumulated enough talents to manage their mountainous country with little resources but a strategically important mountain passage (used to build the Karakoram Highway). Then Kashmir simply cannot hold on to its independence. From China's perspective, the key goal of Karakoram Highway is to pass through Pakistan to reach the port in Balochistan on the shore of Indian Ocean. China can deal with two entities: Pakistan and Kashmir, or just Pakistan. Of course the latter approach is simpler. As for Kashmir people's will, I guess nobody would really pay attention.