Pakistan, China, Afghanistan agree to expand CPEC to Kabul amid regional unrest

Pakistan, China and Afghanistan agreed on Wednesday to deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, officials said.

According to a statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi held an informal trilateral meeting in Beijing.

The three sides reaffirmed the trilateral platform as a key mechanism for promoting regional security and economic connectivity. They agreed to strengthen diplomatic engagement and take concrete steps to boost trade, infrastructure and development.

The ministers also expressed a shared commitment to counter terrorism and foster stability in the region.

China has long advocated for integrating Afghanistan into its Belt and Road Initiative, and Wednesday’s agreement marked a formal step in that direction.

Extending CPEC into Afghanistan would involve greater infrastructure connectivity through energy pipelines, roads and trade corridors, although no specific projects or timelines were announced.

India engages with Taliban

Last week, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a telephone conversation with Muttaqi, marking the first minister-level outreach to the Taliban administration in Afghanistan by India.

“Good conversation with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi this evening. Deeply appreciate his condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack,” Jaishankar said in a message posted on X.

Muttaqi had also hosted senior Indian diplomat Anand Prakash in Kabul on April 27 amid growing India-Pakistan tensions following the attack.