Title: A Study on the Change of Language Policy in Afghanistan and Its Implications in the Perspective of the Belt and Road Initiative

Abstract: Afghanistan is not only the trade hub of the ancient “Silk Road”, but also an important country along the “Belt and Road Initiative”, characterized by multi-ethnicity, multi-tribe, multi-language and multi-dialect. This article discusses the historical change and the characteristics of the language policy in Afghanistan as well as the implications to Chinese language planning. It is essential to attach great importance to the dominant position of the national common language in promoting national identity and national unity, and increase support for the research of cross-border languages between China and its neighboring countries.

Keywords: Afghanistan, language policy, language planning, Belt and Road Initiative, language security

Author: Jianrong Guo, Professor, Department of Foreign Languages, Xinjiang Teacher’s College, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.