China-Pakistan Economic Corridor set to be extended to Afghanistan: Pakistan deputy PM

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is set to be extended to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, following a trilateral agreement between Beijing, Islamabad and Kabul on Wednesday.

Pakistan’s deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar, announced the development in a post on X, confirming his participation in the trilateral meeting alongside Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi.

“In the meeting, it was agreed to deepen Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation and extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan,” Dar said. He also noted that the sixth trilateral Foreign Ministers’ meeting will be held in Kabul at an early, mutually convenient date.

India has been opposing the CPEC, a flagship venture under China’s BRI, as a key part of it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). On many occasions, India has also raised concerns with the Taliban regime, who have now given its nod for the project.

So far, there has been no official response from China, Afghanistan, or India on the latest development.

Earlier, Chinese foreign minister Wang held a separate meeting with Dar yesterday, during which both sides agreed to “create an upgraded version” of the CPEC and promote cooperation in sectors such as industry, energy, mining, counter-terrorism and security, according to a readout from China’s foreign ministry.

During the meeting, Dar also briefed Wang on the current situation between India and Pakistan, following a recent understanding on halting military operations. He thanked China for making “significant contributions to promoting the ceasefire for peace,” the readout said.

Pakistan is also willing to maintain dialogue with India to ease the situation, Dar said.

Wang reiterated China’s support for both Pakistan and India in “properly handling their differences through dialogue, achieving a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, and seeking fundamental solutions”.