The foreign ministers of Pakistan, China and Afghanistan on Wednesday agreed to deepen cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar engaged in an informal trilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Afghanistan Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Beijing. During the meeting, all three officials reaffirmed trilateral cooperation as a vital platform to promote regional security and economic connectivity. They also discussed enhancing diplomatic engagement, strengthening communications, and taking practical steps to boost trade, infrastructure, and development as key drivers of shared prosperity.
Agreeing to deepen BRI cooperation and extend CPEC to Afghanistan, the ministers underscored their shared commitment to countering terrorism and fostering stability and development in the region. They agreed to conduct the 6th Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kabul at an early, mutually convenient date.
Ironclad Ties
A day earlier, the Chinese minister had said Beijing supports Islamabad in defending “national sovereignty and territorial integrity” following clashes with India earlier this month. In a meeting with Dar, Wang said China welcomed the resolution of differences between Pakistan and India through dialogue.
During the meeting, Dar held in-depth consultations with Wang, with both ministers hailing the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership and ironclad friendship between the neighboring states. Expressing satisfaction at the commonality of views on all issues of mutual interest, the ministers expressed their firm resolve to continue bilateral cooperation for regional peace, development and stability.
The two sides also exchanged views on the evolving situation in South Asia, future trajectory of Pakistan-China friendship, and CPEC 2.0. During the meeting, Dar confirmed that Islamabad had used Chinese jets during the clash with India, noting China is Pakistan’s largest arms supplier.
Dar is currently on an official visit to China, his first foreign tour since Pakistan and India came to the brink of war earlier this month. Last month, India accused Pakistan of involvement in April 22 attack in Pahalgam though has yet to share any evidence of its allegations.
On May 6, India launched missile strikes inside Pakistan, following these with drone strikes a day later. On May 10, it targeted some airbases in Pakistan, prompting retaliatory strikes from Islamabad. Several hours after the retaliation, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the two states.