New Delhi: In a significant development for South Asian geopolitics, China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan have agreed to expand the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to include Afghanistan, marking a pivotal moment in regional connectivity and cooperation. This decision, announced following an informal trilateral meeting in Beijing on May 21, 2025, involves the foreign ministers of the three nations—Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The move has raised concerns in India, which has long opposed the CPEC due to its passage through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), a region New Delhi claims as part of its sovereign territory.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: A Cornerstone of the Belt and Road Initiative
Launched in 2015, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a flagship project of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, a multi-billion-dollar global infrastructure and trade program initiated in 2013. The BRI aims to connect Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa, and Europe through an extensive network of land and sea routes, reviving ancient trade pathways like the Silk Road. The CPEC, a 3,000-kilometer corridor, links China’s Xinjiang province to Pakistan’s Gwadar port, located on the Arabian Sea. Positioned at the intersection of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the CPEC is a critical component of China’s strategy to enhance global trade connectivity.
The corridor, valued at approximately $60 billion, includes infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, energy facilities, and the development of Gwadar port. However, its route through PoK has been a point of contention for India, which views it as a violation of its territorial sovereignty. The recent decision to extend the CPEC to Afghanistan adds a new layer of complexity to the regional geopolitical landscape, particularly for India, which has expressed strong objections to the project’s expansion into a third country.
Trilateral Talks in Beijing: A Step Toward Regional Integration
On May 21, 2025, the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan convened in Beijing for an informal trilateral meeting, the first high-level interaction of its kind in recent years. The discussions, described as “unofficial” by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, focused on deepening cooperation in trade, infrastructure, and development. The three nations reaffirmed their commitment to regional peace, stability, and prosperity, with a particular emphasis on expanding the CPEC to Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who was on a three-day visit to Beijing, posted on X, stating, “Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan stand together for regional peace, stability and development.” The meeting also addressed diplomatic engagement and measures to combat terrorism, with the three countries pledging to strengthen regional interconnection networks under the BRI framework. A key outcome was the agreement to hold the 6th Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kabul at a mutually convenient date, signaling a renewed commitment to the trilateral mechanism, which had been dormant due to tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over issues such as the repatriation of Afghan refugees.
Afghanistan’s Inclusion in CPEC: Strategic Implications
The decision to extend the CPEC to Afghanistan is a strategic move aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and economic integration. Afghanistan, under the interim Taliban government, has faced significant challenges since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, including economic isolation and security concerns. The inclusion of Afghanistan in the CPEC is expected to provide the country with access to critical infrastructure, trade routes, and investment opportunities, potentially stabilizing its economy and strengthening ties with China and Pakistan.
For China, the expansion aligns with its broader BRI objectives, particularly the goal of creating a robust regional interconnection network. The Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized that the three countries should “deepen cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative” and “oppose all forms of terrorism” while remaining vigilant against external interference in regional affairs. This move also strengthens China’s influence in Afghanistan, a country strategically located at the crossroads of Central and South Asia.
Pakistan, meanwhile, sees the extension as an opportunity to bolster its economic and security ties with Afghanistan, despite recent strains over issues like the forcible repatriation of Afghan refugees and the activities of militant groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). The Pakistani Foreign Office stated that the trilateral meeting reaffirmed the “iron-clad friendship” between the three nations and advanced their shared vision for regional peace and development.
India’s Concerns: Sovereignty, Security, and Geopolitics
India has consistently opposed the CPEC, primarily because it passes through PoK, a region India considers part of its territory in Jammu and Kashmir. The Ministry of External Affairs has previously stated that any expansion of the CPEC into third countries would infringe upon India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In response to the trilateral agreement, India reiterated its objections, arguing that the project’s extension to Afghanistan further complicates regional dynamics.
Beyond territorial concerns, India views the CPEC through a geostrategic and geopolitical lens. The development of Gwadar port, which is part of China’s “String of Pearls” strategy to establish a network of naval and commercial facilities across the Indian Ocean, is seen as a threat to India’s maritime security and trade routes in the Arabian Sea. Additionally, the strengthening of China-Pakistan-Afghanistan trilateral relations raises concerns about the formation of a regional bloc that could challenge India’s influence in South Asia.
Recent tensions between India and Pakistan, particularly following India’s Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, have further heightened India’s concerns. Operation Sindoor targeted terror sites in Pakistan and PoK, escalating military tensions. Additionally, India’s decision to keep the 1960 Indus Water Treaty in abeyance has added to the strain, making the CPEC’s expansion a particularly sensitive issue.
India’s Countermeasures: Chabahar, INSTC, and IMEC
To counter the strategic implications of the CPEC, India has pursued alternative connectivity projects to enhance its regional influence and bypass Pakistan. These include:
- Chabahar Port (Iran): India and Iran have signed a contract for the operation of Chabahar port, located on the Gulf of Oman. This port serves as a gateway for India to access Afghanistan and Central Asia without relying on Pakistan, providing an alternative trade route and strengthening India’s strategic presence in the region.
- International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC): The INSTC connects India to Central Asia and Eurasia via Iran, offering a route that bypasses Pakistan. This corridor enhances India’s access to markets in Russia, Europe, and Central Asia, countering the CPEC’s regional influence.
- India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC): Launched to promote connectivity and secure supply chains, the IMEC integrates Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. This ambitious project aims to counterbalance China’s BRI by fostering economic cooperation and infrastructure development across these regions.
These initiatives reflect India’s proactive approach to safeguarding its strategic interests and maintaining its influence in the face of the CPEC’s expansion.
Regional Dynamics: Afghanistan’s Warming Ties with India
The trilateral meeting comes at a time when Afghanistan’s interim Taliban government has shown signs of warming ties with India, much to Pakistan’s dismay. On May 16, 2025, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held telephone talks with Amir Khan Muttaqi, marking the highest-level contact between New Delhi and Kabul since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. This followed a meeting between India’s point-person on Afghanistan, Anand Prakash, and Muttaqi in Kabul three weeks earlier.
India is reportedly considering development projects and humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, particularly for the thousands of Afghans forcibly repatriated from Pakistan. These overtures suggest a shift in India’s approach to engaging with the Taliban government, potentially as a counterbalance to the China-Pakistan-Afghanistan axis. However, Pakistan’s criticism of the Taliban for failing to crack down on militant groups like the TTP and BLA operating from Afghan soil continues to strain Islamabad-Kabul relations.
Security Concerns and Terrorism
The trilateral meeting also addressed the shared commitment to countering terrorism, a critical issue for all three countries. Pakistan has accused the Taliban government of not doing enough to curb groups like the TTP and BLA, which it claims are waging attacks against Pakistani targets from Afghan territory. China, too, has expressed concerns about frequent terror attacks on CPEC projects, which have posed challenges to the corridor’s implementation.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s press release emphasized the need for law enforcement and security cooperation to combat terrorist forces and prevent external interference in regional affairs. This focus on security underscores the complexities of expanding the CPEC to a conflict-prone region like Afghanistan, where stability remains a significant challenge.
Conclusion: A New Headache for India
The decision to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan marks a significant step in China’s Belt and Road Initiative and underscores the growing alignment between Beijing, Islamabad, and Kabul. For India, this development poses multifaceted challenges, from territorial disputes to geostrategic and geopolitical concerns. The strengthening of trilateral cooperation among China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, coupled with the CPEC’s expansion, could reshape regional dynamics, potentially marginalizing India’s influence in South Asia.
As India counters with projects like Chabahar, INSTC, and IMEC, the region is witnessing a complex interplay of competing connectivity initiatives and strategic interests. The warming of India-Afghanistan ties adds another layer of intrigue, suggesting that New Delhi is actively seeking to balance its regional strategy. For now, the CPEC’s extension to Afghanistan remains a critical issue to watch, with far-reaching implications for peace, stability, and development in South Asia.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and why is its expansion to Afghanistan significant?
The CPEC is a 3,000-km infrastructure and trade corridor launched in 2015, connecting China’s Xinjiang province to Pakistan’s Gwadar port as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Its expansion to Afghanistan, agreed upon during a trilateral meeting in Beijing on May 21, 2025, aims to enhance regional connectivity, boost Afghanistan’s economy, and strengthen trilateral cooperation among China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. This move is significant as it extends China’s influence in South and Central Asia, potentially reshaping regional trade and geopolitical dynamics.
Why does India oppose the CPEC and its extension to Afghanistan?
India opposes the CPEC because it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which India considers part of its sovereign territory in Jammu and Kashmir. The expansion to Afghanistan is seen as a further violation of India’s territorial integrity. Additionally, India is concerned about the geostrategic implications, such as China’s development of Gwadar port under its “String of Pearls” strategy, and the geopolitical challenge posed by strengthened China-Pakistan-Afghanistan ties, which could marginalize India’s influence in South Asia.
What steps has India taken to counter the CPEC?
To counter the CPEC, India has pursued alternative connectivity projects:
India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC): This initiative aims to enhance connectivity and secure supply chains across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, countering China’s BRI.
Chabahar Port (Iran): India and Iran have signed a contract to operate Chabahar port, providing access to Afghanistan and Central Asia without relying on Pakistan.
- International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC): This corridor connects India to Central Asia and Eurasia via Iran, bypassing Pakistan.
What are the security concerns surrounding the CPEC expansion to Afghanistan?
The expansion raises security concerns due to Afghanistan’s instability and the presence of militant groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which Pakistan claims operate from Afghan soil. China has also expressed concerns about terror attacks on CPEC projects. The trilateral agreement emphasizes counter-terrorism cooperation and law enforcement to address these challenges and prevent external interference in the region.
How does the warming of India-Afghanistan ties impact the CPEC expansion?
The interim Taliban government’s recent engagement with India, including high-level talks between India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on May 16, 2025, has caused concern in Pakistan. India’s potential development projects and humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, especially for repatriated refugees, could counterbalance the China-Pakistan-Afghanistan axis, complicating the CPEC’s expansion and adding a new dimension to regional geopolitics.
