China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to be extended to Afghanistan

Beijing: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is set to be expanded to Afghanistan with the foreign ministers of the three countries agreeing on it as part of broader efforts to boost “trilateral” cooperation.

The announcement on expansion of CPEC was made following a meeting among Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Beijing, according to a Pakistani readout.

India has been severely critical of the CPEC as it passes through Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. New Delhi is also opposed to China's Belt and Road initiative as the project includes the CPEC.

The trilateral meeting took place days after the interim Taliban government recently warmed up to India. The meeting between the foreign ministers of the three countries was held also in the backdrop of Islamabad's persistent criticism of the interim Taliban government for failing to crackdown on militant groups operating from Afghan soil waging a war against Pakistan.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning in her media briefing in Beijing termed as “unofficial” the meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi.

The three countries for a long time had a trilateral foreign ministers' mechanism which has not been convened for some time amid growing differences between Islamabad and Kabul over forcible repatriation of thousands of Afghan refugees by Pakistan.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry press release on the trilateral meeting quoted Wang as saying that China supports Afghanistan and Pakistan in safeguarding their sovereignty, security and national dignity.

The three sides should deepen cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, promote the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, and strengthen the construction of regional interconnection networks, it said.

The three countries should oppose all forms of terrorism, carry out law enforcement and security cooperation, work together to combat terrorist forces of mutual concern, and be vigilant against external forces interfering in the internal affairs of countries in the region, the press release said.

The trilateral meeting was held on the concluding day of Dar's three day visit to Beijing, the first high-level interaction after India launched Operation Sindoor targetting terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

“Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan stand together for regional peace, stability, and development,” Dar said in a post on X after the meeting and shared a photo of the three leaders together.

Wang held a separate bilateral meeting with Muttaqi on Wednesday, according to Xinhua, the state-run news agency.

A statement by Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said in Islamabad that the three Foreign Ministers reaffirmed trilateral cooperation as a vital platform to promote regional security and economic connectivity.

“They discussed enhancing diplomatic engagement, strengthening communications, and taking practical steps to boost trade, infrastructure, and development as key drivers of shared prosperity,” it said.

The Ministers underscored their shared commitment to countering terrorism and fostering stability and development in the region.

It was agreed that the 6th Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting will be held in Kabul at an early, mutually convenient, date, the FO statement added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Dar met Wang, also the member of the Political Bureau of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Liu Jianchao, the Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) and discussed issues arising out of the India-Pakistan military conflict besides New Delhi's decision to keep the 1960 Indus Water Treaty in abeyance.

India has opposed the USD 60 billion CPEC construction as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) while China has expressed repeated concerns over frequent terror attacks on the multi-project Corridor.

Pakistan has persistently criticised the interim Taliban government for not cracking down on Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) that it claims have been waging a war for the independence of Balochistan.

The informal trilateral meeting took place amid warming of ties between India and the interim Taliban government much to the chagrin of Pakistan.

On May 16, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held telephone talks with Muttaqi, the highest-level contact between New Delhi and Kabul since Taliban captured power in August 2021. It came three weeks after India's point-person on Afghanistan Anand Prakash held talks with Muttaqi in Kabul.

India is reportedly considering for the Afghan people certain development projects, including humanitarian aid to thousands of displaced Afghans repatriated from Pakistan in recent months.