Afghanistan's Badakhshan, China's Xinjiang become sister provinces

The agreement was signed by Badakhshan Governor Ahmad Faisal Begzad and his Xinjiang counterpart, Shohrat Zakir, in China’s Urumqi.
“Based on the agreement, exchanges between Badakhshan and Xinjiang will increase in the areas of economy, trade, culture and construction,” Badakhshan governor’s office said in a statement Tuesday.
China has long been worried that instability in Afghanistan could spill over into Xinjiang, which is near Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province.