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CPEC to Extend to Afghanistan as China, Pakistan, Taliban Agree on Regional Push
Pakistan, China & Afghanistan agree to extend CPEC to Afghan territory, aiming for peace, connectivity & shared prosperity. Dar calls visit “highly productive.”
ND
by News Desk
2025-05-21
CPEC to Extend to Afghanistan as China, Pakistan, Taliban Agree on Regional Push

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar concluded a pivotal three-day visit to China with a landmark announcement: Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan have agreed to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghan territory, marking a major step in regional connectivity and cooperation.

In a trilateral meeting held in Beijing, Dar met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss deepening cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the three sides reaffirmed their commitment to economic integration, regional peace, and counter-terrorism.

The meeting marked the latest session of the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral forum, first launched in 2017. The ministers agreed to convene the 6th Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kabul at a mutually convenient date.

“They agreed to deepen Belt and Road Initiative cooperation and extend the CPEC to Afghanistan,” the FO said in an official statement. The corridor, a flagship component of the BRI, has already transformed Pakistan’s infrastructure and energy sectors. Its extension to Afghanistan is expected to unlock new avenues of trade, transit, and development.

Dar posted a group photo with his Chinese and Afghan counterparts, stating, “We stand together for regional peace, stability and development.”

In a separate meeting, Dar and Muttaqi acknowledged the positive momentum in bilateral ties, agreeing to strengthen trade, transit, connectivity, and security cooperation. The visit coincided with the 74th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, underlining the long-standing and evolving “ironclad” partnership between the two nations.

China expressed strong support for Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, particularly in light of recent tensions with India following clashes over occupied Kashmir. The show of support came as the region navigates heightened geostrategic challenges.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, met with Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong in Islamabad. The two reaffirmed defence cooperation, with the ambassador praising the Pakistan Air Force’s operational excellence during the recent standoff on the eastern front.

The Air Chief lauded China’s assistance in Pakistan’s defence modernization, while both sides agreed on enhancing joint exercises, technical assistance, and collaborative frameworks to meet emerging security threats.

China also reaffirmed its commitment to support PAF’s indigenous technological capabilities, underscoring the deep strategic trust between the two countries.

The series of diplomatic and military engagements underscore an intensifying regional alliance centered around economic cooperation, shared security interests, and counter-terrorism efforts, with CPEC now emerging as a trilateral corridor of opportunity in South Asia.

 
Tagged:

RegionalConnectivity

BRI

CPECExpansion

ChinaPakistanAfghanistan
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