Trilateral meet: Pakistan, China, Afghanistan to explore extension of CPEC

Pakistan, China and Afghanistan on Wednesday held a trilateral meeting in Kabul where they agreed to “step up efforts against terrorism” and explore the “extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)” into Afghanistan.

On the sidelines, Afghanistan’s Interim Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi also held bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, who conveyed Beijing’s interest in Kabul’s formal participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

India has consistently opposed CPEC, as a key stretch of the project passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The trilateral meeting came just a day after Wang Yi met Indian leaders in New Delhi during the 24th round of the Special Representatives’ talks on the boundary question, which ended on a positive note.

In Kabul, the three sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepen collaboration in trade, transit, regional development, health, education, culture and counter-narcotics.

During the bilateral meeting, Muttaqi assured Wang that Afghan soil would not be used against its neighbours. He noted that trade between Afghanistan and China had already reached $1 billion annually and expressed hope that the volume would rise further.

The Afghan FM also proposed greater cooperation in transportation, banking and balancing trade, along with the creation of joint intergovernmental commissions to address technical issues and boost economic ties.

Wang Yi underlined China’s readiness to broaden collaboration across sectors, saying Beijing was working to facilitate an increase in Afghan exports.

He signalled plans to begin practical mining projects this year and pledged continued political and economic support for Afghanistan, including efforts to ease barriers on agricultural and other exports.