Farmers pack strawberries at a farm in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan April. 4, 2023. (Photo by Aimal Zahir/Xinhua)

A Chinese-built road in east Afghanistan's Nangarhar province shortens travel between the provincial capital Jalalabad and southern Khogyani district, benefitting travelers between the two spots, farmers needing reliable transportation for agricultural products, and patients seeking medical help.

JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Zahidullah, a taxi driver living in east Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, used to drive for hours between the province's capital Jalalabad and southern Khogyani district, but now, thanks to China's help, a newly completed road has enabled the trip to be faster at lower cost.

In particular, the road has saved the time for patients seeking medical help away in Jalalabad, the driver said, adding its construction began a decade ago amid warfare.

"We are very grateful to China, because reconstruction of this road has helped solve our health and economic problems, and we hope and ask for more help from China in repairing roads and beautifying the city," said Zahidullah.

Moreover, Nangarhar is home to various agricultural products, including dates, olives, oranges and lemons.

To keep the farm produce fresh during transportation, more and convenient roads must be planned and built in this part of the war-ravaged Central Asian country.

In Khogyani, the Chinese-built road has benefited farmers and other people alike, said Zahidullah, highlighting a faster journey of purchasing agricultural products like tomatoes and onions and taking them back home without the fear of spoilage.

A farmer harvests peaches at an orchard in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, May 22, 2023. (Photo by Aimal Zahir/Xinhua)

Jalalabad is well-known for its thriving art and craft industry in Afghanistan, and has abundant business and industrial activities, thus leading to a significant flow of cash and labor. Despite the expanding infrastructure in the area, the Chinese-built road remains one of the busiest routes.

"This road is a transit route at the level of Asia, where goods go to Central and South Asia, and it is an important central point of Afghanistan," Qurishi Badlon, public relations officer of Nangarhar province, told Xinhua.

It is not only a thoroughfare but also serves as an economic lifeline fueling interactions and livelihoods in the city and beyond, Badlon noted.

Road traffic has increased here, with more people moving to and from across the city, especially as they go to the market for shopping or trade. "Our lives have become much better than before," said Lal Mohammad, a market shopkeeper from a village in Nangarhar's northern Surkh Rod district.