New Delhi: In a major geopolitical development implications of which would be felt not only in the Indian sub-continent but around the world, China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan have agreed to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghan territory. The announcement was made after a high-level trilateral meeting in Beijing, where Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi hosted his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
The extension of CPEC into Afghanistan is being shown as a step towards “regional peace, stability, and development” by the parties involved. However, the move has raised alarm bells in New Delhi.
Interestingly, Afghanistan’s inclusion in the CPEC expansion comes shortly after Kabul condemned the Pahalgam attack and distanced itself from Pakistan’s claims that India had fired missiles into Afghan territory. That move had opened a rare window of political engagement between India and the Taliban.
But with Kabul now leaning into trilateral ties with China and Pakistan, India’s diplomatic outreach to Afghanistan may face new obstacles.
New trilateral dialogue
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained tense since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of harbouring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists. The new trilateral dialogue appears to be an effort to mend the rifts.
China announced that both Pakistan and Afghanistan had “agreed in principle” to upgrade diplomatic ties, including appointing ambassadors.
“China welcomes this and is willing to continue providing assistance for the improvement of Afghanistan-Pakistan relations,” said Wang Yi, according to an official statement.
Why India is concerned
India has long opposed the CPEC project, as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The proposed extension into Afghanistan further complicates this.
The expansion of CPEC could strengthen China’s strategic depth in South Asia, enhance Pakistan’s leverage in Afghanistan, undermine India’s connectivity efforts via Iran’s Chabahar Port, and create potential corridors for hostile activities aimed at India.
Moreover, India sees the project as Beijing’s attempt to solidify its alliance with Islamabad and counter India’s rising influence in Central Asia.
CPEC: From Gwadar to Kabul
Originally launched in 2015, CPEC seeks to link China’s Xinjiang province to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port through a network of highways, railways, and energy projects. With proposed expansion into Afghanistan, the corridor could connect Kabul and other Afghan regions to global trade routes — providing the Taliban regime with economic lifelines and greater legitimacy on the world stage.
According to reports, Muttaqi assured Beijing that Kabul recognises China’s security concerns and will not allow Afghan soil to be used for anti-China activities.
Operation Sindoor and regional aftershocks
This trilateral development came after India’s counter-terrorism operation — codenamed Operation Sindoor — which targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan and PoK after the Pahalgam terror attack. China had backed Pakistan diplomatically during this phase, with Wang Yi maintaining close contact with Pakistani officials.
China’s support for its “ironclad friend” has only deepened strategic divisions in South Asia.
