China will construct nine border infrastructure facilities along the frontier between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, according to a report by Kazinform News Agency.

The plan was approved by the lower chamber of Tajikistan’s parliament, the Majlisi Oli, under an agreement aimed at strengthening the material and technical capacity of Tajikistan’s border forces.

According to the parliamentary bulletin Sadoi Mardum, the project includes the construction of facilities equipped with modern surveillance systems, communication technologies, and engineering infrastructure designed to enhance border security.

The total construction area will cover approximately 17,000 square meters, with an estimated cost of 424.8 million Chinese yuan. The funding will be provided free of charge by the government of China.

Murodali Rajabzoda, First Deputy Chairman of Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security, said the new facilities are part of broader cooperation between Beijing and Dushanbe to improve border infrastructure.

He noted that under a previous agreement with China, 12 border facilities were constructed between 2017 and 2018.

Earlier, Kazinform also reported that the parliament of Kazakhstan had ratified the Kazakhstan–Tajikistan Treaty on Allied Relations, reflecting growing regional cooperation.

The United States has decided to permanently close its consulate in Peshawar which has long been the closest American diplomatic mission to the Durand Line.

According to a report by the Associated Press, the U.S. State Department informed Congress this week of its intention to shut down the consulate, saying the move would save about $7.5 million annually.

U.S. officials said the closure would not negatively affect Washington’s ability to advance its national interests in Pakistan.

The U.S. consulate in Peshawar was a primary operations and logistics point before, during and after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan.

The decision is part of a broader effort by the Donald Trump administration to reduce costs and downsize federal agencies, a plan that has been under consideration for more than a year. Officials said the move is not related to the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Last year, the U.S. administration also cut thousands of diplomatic positions at the State Department and dismissed many staff members from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

However, the Peshawar consulate will be the first overseas U.S. diplomatic mission to be completely closed as part of the State Department’s restructuring.

The consulate currently employs 18 American diplomats and government personnel as well as 89 local staff members.

U.S. President Donald Trump once again criticized the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan during a rally-like speech on Wednesday.

He said that everything the Biden administration did regarding Afghanistan was wrong and described the withdrawal as “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country.”

Trump noted that 13 American service members were killed during the evacuation.

He also criticized the decision to withdraw through Kabul airport instead of the Bagram Air Base.

According to Trump, there was no reason for the United States to remain in Afghanistan any longer.

He said his plan had been to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan “with strength and dignity.”

Trump further criticized the Biden administration of leaving large amounts of military equipment behind during the withdrawal.