Article Title: China, Pakistan decide to include Afghanistan in CPEC
22-05-2025
International Relations Current Affairs Analysis
Context
• The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is set to be expanded to Afghanistan with the Foreign Ministers of the three countries agreeing on it as part of broader efforts to boost “trilateral” cooperation.
• The announcement on expansion of CPEC was made following a meeting among Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Beijing, according to a Pakistani readout.
• India has been severely critical of the CPEC as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. New Delhi is also opposed to China's Belt and Road initiative as the project includes the CPEC.
China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
• China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an infrastructure project initiated in 2015. It aims to enhance China’s energy imports and trade while developing Pakistan’s infrastructure.
• The CPEC includes modern transportation networks linking ports in Gwadar and Karachi with northern Pakistan and China’s Xinjiang region.
• CPEC is a 3,000-km long route of infrastructure projects
• It will pave the way for China to access the Middle East and Africa from Gwadar Port, enabling China to access the Indian Ocean and in return China will support development projects in Pakistan to overcome the latter’s energy crises and stabilising its faltering economy
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